Waterbury Democrat., 1902-04-24
COMMON BUT SELDOM SEEN,

Most people are familiar with Shakespeare's Flaming of the Shrew," and few there are who are not aware that the shrew is a little animal not much larger than mouse, with habits similar to those of a ground squirrel and a temper like that of a red-haired woman, but how many ever saw one of these animals? The shrew Is indig- enouS to the United States from Maine to Florida, and from the Atlantic ocean to Omaha, but owing to the fact that 1t is a night prowler, remaining in it's underground habitation during the day, 1t is seldom seen. Cats and dogs will not prey upon these curious little animals, owing to their peculiarly strong and offensive odor, and for that reason they seldom or never form part of the spoil of the farmhouse cat after a nights hunt.
 Bearing the foregoing facts in mind. the reader will be all the more surpris- ed to learn of very curious thing that occurred on Saturday, March p, in the heart of Washington, which may result in the reading of q scientific paper on the subject at some forthcoming meet ing of one of the scientific societies of this city.
 On the date mentioned, Jim Perry, a colored bootblack, who has q stand on Tenth street Northwest. only two blocks distant from Pennsylvania ave nue, caught one of these little animals running about in the gutter not far from his stand. He succeeded after some difficulty, and not until the pug nacious little animal had bitten him several times, i'll placing it in a box. where for several hours it remained the center of attraction for passers-by. who crowded around Jim's stand to ''rubberneck" at the little creature and ventllate their opinions as to it's name and nature, until a policeman came along and made them diSperse.
 Jim was born and raised in Virginia. Where shrews are unusually common. but this, it seems, was the first he had ever seen. He decided that it was a new variety of rat For two hours af- ter he caught the shrew fully POO peo- pie must have looked it over, yet of all that number not one had ever seen a shrew or knew the name of the animal that Jim had captured. Finally some one told.Jim that he ought to take the animal. whatever it was. up to MT Schmid's dog, cat and bird store, on Twelfth street, and that if any one knew. he would be most apt to know the name of the little beast.
 Jim acted on this advice, and n few minutes later submitted the shrew to MT Schmid for inspection. After look ing the animal over closely MT Schmid confessed that he had not the faintest notion of what it could be, but advised Jim to take it to Dr Gerrit Miller. zoologist in the National Museum, say ing thaf-h he alone would know the name and nature of Jim's find.
 About thirty minutes later Jim turned in Dr Miller's office. where he had the satisfaction of learning the name of the strange animal. With true scientific patriotism Jim presented his shrew to the government, and when it appears on exhibition (stuffed and mounted) Jim's name will appear on the label as the finder. Of this Jim is very proud. Speaking of Jim's find Dr Miller said:
 'This is the first instance that ever came under my observation of the finding of shrew in daytime and in the heart of a. large city. How the [ little animal came to be where the col ored boy found his is what puzzles me. l am inclined to think that he came in from the country ill load of hay, wood, vegetables, or, possibly, sand or soil, for l am quite sure they have never adopted themselves to city life.o Washington Post.