Evening star., 1945-07-23
This and That
BIZ Charles E. Trucetuell.

A small animal, often mistaken for a
mouse is the shrew, which has given
its name to the human scold.
This creature belongs to a family
which includes the smallest of all man.
mails
The shrew is nocturnal and Is re-
garded as an insect eater, but also con-
sumes small birds, worms and any meat
which 1t finds.
1t has q well-furred body, a well-de-
veloped tail and very small eyes and ears.
Tt is a great fighter, considering its
size.
Often it will fight back at the cat,
and manage to infiict several wounds
before it is killed.
Sometimes 1t will almost sing, uttering
loud chirps, barring its teeth and putting
on such demonstration with Its facial
muscles that it seems the very embodi-
ment of rage.
Meadow mice and house mice are
afraid of the shrews and leave them
strictly alone.
Shrews are regarded as beneficial to
gardens on account Of their destruction
Of worms and insects.
Hawks, weazels, owls, shrikes and cats
kill them, although probably only the
first four eat them.
The cat seldom does, disliking the
musky odor
Shrews are often mistaken for moles,
in grass, and for mice, in leaves. They
are great climbers and often may be
seen out on the limbs of trees,
Another insectivore is the mole, gen.
orally regarded as lawn pest.
Most householders want to kill him
the moment they see the runs raised
beneath their grass, but a few will ap-
preciate this bundle of nerves, as he
has been called.
1t requires a meal at least every four
hours, and will die If 1t does not get 1t.
Fearful but furious-timid but pas
sionate-so great naturalist described
the creature.
Surely we, too, might think bit, be-
fore we call the mole merely nuisance.
The forearm and hand of the mole
are engineering masterpieces.
BLACK plowman" is poetic napne
given them, and 1t seems to At. Strong
in the earth, it quickly passes away in
captivity.
About eight or nine days is all most
moles live out Of the earth. The diff
Guilty comes not only in their own dis
positions, but also in the hardship of
feeding them when captive.
The trapper will have to get up sew
eral times in the night to feed his cap
tive mole, If he desires to keep it alive,
for no matter If the animal has had a
very large dinner of earthworms, he
will be found dead unless he has at
least two more meals before daylight
This indefatigable animal-provided
he gets plenty of food-can dig tunnel
hundred yards long overnight.
A man would have to dig tunnel 81
miles long to equal it, by comparison
with size; and the tunnel would have
to be, of course, large enough for the
body of man.
Don't make mountain out Of a
molehill," goes the old saying.
1t is true enough. If we apply it TO
the real animal, in the lawn, we will
not 60 into conniption fits over the little
surface irregularity it causes
The mole probably can digest food
quicker than anything else on earth.
That is why 1t starves so quickly.
"Eupeptic" is the word for 1t, refer
ring to state Of good digestion.
II man had as fine stomach and
such a healthy organism he could eat
10 dinners day and have good appe-
tite each time. But probably he would
die If he missed his supper, so it would
hardly be forth being = mole for.