The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-02-21

this race of tormentors and materially
lessen other insects that might otherwise
prove highly injurious and for that rea
son we call it friend to Horticulture.
The next order of the Mommaiia j.
called
and the first family:
FERAE INSRCTIvoRAE.
Two genera OF this family we have to
take into consideration, viz: the shrs~'
and the mole.
THE SHREW
bore for many years more evil repute
than other animals. At the present day
the shrew 10 scarcely known, not that it
10 BY any means a rare animal, but that
it is from size and general aspect, con-
founded with the mouse. When how
ever they are compared together the two
animals will be found to be widely dis
similar in structure and form az well as
in habits and in food. The shrew is
from two to three inches in length, Of .
reddish brown above and u greyish tint
beneath, the fur is short, soft and silky,
the ears small, the snout singularly long
somewhat overhanging and taperins to .
point. 1t is with this instrument that it
SO readily grubs up the the soft earth in
search Of worms, larvae, insects and bur
rows, where it usually remains during
the day, coming forth at night with
great wariness to seek food. The cats
foudness for mice is proverbiai, but
though the cat will kill the shrsw, she
immediately retires from it in disgust,
possibly from the strong musky perfume
emitted by the shrew. Every ancient
writer On natural history gives the shre~
a had name Aristotle points out the
injury inflicted by it on cattle. Piiny
and Agricola state it's bites are poisonous.
while by the old Egyptians it was wor
shipped, is was held sacred and consid-
cred the earthly representative Of La
tona.
THE MOLE.
1 know that great many horticul-
turists and farmers will refuse to admit
the usefulness of moles. the cause of this
10, that they see the harm they do,
while their services are hidden. We
have some f,iends that make us pay
very dearly for the service which they
render us. A mole in a vegetable gar
den or in y newly cultivated ground
could be considered as just such an indi-
vidual. His principal food are worms and
chrysalis which lies buried in the ground
and this is the reason why he sometimes
makes an excursion to the garden, at
tracted by the abundance Of food, for he
never attacks vegetables or their roots.
He 10 . great eater, he makes four meals
a day, his first breakfast by sunrise, his
second between 8 and 10. dinner be-
tween . and 3, and at night . hearty
supper, He can consume in one day
three times his own weight Of worms.
The mole 10 . great turnover, his whole
is made for this purpose,
with power and unity Of intention tru-
ly remarkable. On examining the ami
NAL, we are more than ever struck
with its marvellous adaptation to the Pc
culiar life, with it is destined to lead.
The fore feet are armed with strong,
curved, sharp-cutting nails for digging,
next there is q broad, palm-like hand for
back the loosened earth, in
TACT . kind Of pickax and shovel COM
binde. The mole tunnels with surpris-
ing rapidity. The head is narrow and
small, the eyes scarcely discernible.
Shut out from the light Of the sun, these
animals would find q pair Of large eyes
one Of the greatest Of evils and a wise
has adapted their organs of
vision to the subtsrraneous life they lead.
The sense Of hearing and smelling are
very acute. "Blind as a mole" il a COM
mon saying and false one too but; Brave
as mole would be more truthful. Fear
seems to be . sentiment not known to
the mole, many naturalists have written
Of the famous combat betw cen two molss
for: when Greek meets Greek then
comes the tug OF war;"
Go be continued In next Sundays issue)