The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-04-23
COMMON BUT SELDOM SEEN
4 SHREW, NOT THE HUMAN t KIND,
Found in the Daytime in Washing

Most people are familiar with Shake speare's Flaming of the ShreW," and few there are who are not ware that the shrew Is little animal not much larger than, a mouse, with habits sim liar to those of d ground squirrel and temper like that of q red-haired Wo- man, but how many ever saw one or these animals? The shreW is Indigenous to the United States from Maine to Florida, and from the Atlantic ocean to Omaha, but owing to the fact that 1t is night proWler remaining in its underground habitation during the day it is seldom seen. Cats and dogs will not prey upon these curious little ami mals, 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 avery curious thing that occurred on Saturday, March P, in the heart of Washington, which may result in the reading of scientific paper on the subject at some forthcoming meet Ing OI one Ol IIlt StIGtlllilt optlSNtC9 oL this city.
 On the date mentioned, Jim Perry, a colored bootblack, who has 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 box, where for several hours it remained the center of attraction for passers-hy wha crowded around Jim's stand to "rubberneck' a the little creature and ventilate 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 new variety of rat. For two hours after he caught the shrew fully 200 people must have looked it over, yet of all that number not one had ever seen Ghrew 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 few minutes later submitted the shrew to MT. Schnid for inspection. After look ing the animal over closely MT. Schmid A, fac cad that he had not the fainteSt notion of what it could be, but advised Jim to take it to Dr. Gerritt Miller zoologist in the National Museum, say ing that he alone would know the name and nature of Jinl's find.
 About thirty minutes later Jim turned 11p in Dr. Miller's office, where he had the satisfaction of learning the name of the strange animal. With true sci e1tific patriotism Jim presented his shrew to the government, and when it appears on exhibitor fstuffed 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. Mill Ter said
 s.This is the tirst instance that ever came under my observation of the find- ing of shrew in daytime and in the heart of a large city. How the little animal came to be where the colored boy found him is what puzzles me. am inclined to think that he came in from the country in a load of hay wood vegetables, or, possibly sand or soil, for I am quite sure they have never adopted themselves to city life" Washington Post.