That little long-sharp-nosed mouse in the Walden road.

November 26

What that little long-sharp-nosed mouse I found in the Walden road to-day?  

Brown above, gray beneath, black incisors, five toes with claws on

short tail shrew dead in the trail

(avesong September 17, 2023)

each foot, long snout with small blunt black extremity, many mustachios, eyes far forward feet light or dirty white, tail 1 1/2 inches long, whole length 3 3/4 inches; on causeway.

H. D. Thoreau, Journal, November 26, 1854

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What that little long-sharp-nosed mouse I found in the Walden road to-day? See January 29, 1853 ("I saw a little grayish mouse frozen into Walden, three or four rods from the shore, its tail sticking out a hole. It had apparently run into this hole when full of water, as if on land, and been drowned and frozen.");  July 12, 1856 ("In the still wet road on the hill, just beyond Lincoln bound, a short-tailed shrew (Sorex brevicaudus of Say), dead after the rain. I have found them thus three or four times before."); July 31, 1856 ("A short-tailed shrew dead after the rain. I have found them thus three or four times before. "); May 1, 1857 ("Apparently a skunk has picked up what I took to be the dead shrew in the Goose Pond Path.")

Note:  The  term mouse  includes not only the typical mouse and other members of genus Mus, but also other  species or  genera such as the vole (Microtus pennsylvanicus ) sometimes called the field mouse or meadow mouse, and the deer mouse (Peromyscus). HDT's Journal  refers to meadow mice (short-tailed or long-tailed (Arvicola)), deer mice (white-bellied, white-footed, or wood (Mus leucopus) ) and a jumping mouse (Gerbillus Canadensis). Thompson, Natural History of Vermont, describes only the common mouse (mus musculus), the jumping mouse, and the meadow mouse,

Today's long-sharp-nosed "mouse" is not the short-tailed meadow mouse. See August 25, 1858 (“The short-tailed meadow mouse, or Arvicola hirsuta. . . . above, it is very dark brown, almost blackish, being browner forward. It is also dark beneath. Tail but little more than one inch long. . .  Its nose is not sharp.”) 

Today's mouse is not white bellied, like the deer mouse. Voles and deer mice have four toes on their front feet and five toes on their rear feet. 

Surely, today's long-sharp-nosed-five-toed-black-incisored "mouse" is a shrew: "small, mole-like mammals that look a bit like long-nosed mice" Shrews have five toes on both their front and rear feet.  See July 12, 1856 ("A short-tailed shrew (Sorex brevicaudus of Say), dead after the rain . . . Lead-color above, somewhat lighter beneath, with a long snout, 3/8 inch beyond lower jaw, incisors black"]  See also A Book of the Seasons, by Henry Thoreau, The Wild Mouse

 

Five toes on each foot,

long sharp-nose, black incisors –

what that little mouse?

A Book of the Seasons,  by Henry Thoreau, That little long-sharp-nosed mouse 

A Book of the Seasons,  by Henry Thoreau, 

"A book, each page written in its own season,

out-of-doors, in its own locality.”

~edited, assembled and rewritten by zphx © 2009-2025

https://tinyurl.com/hdt-541126

The ring of the toad.

May 1. 

Friday. 2 p.m. — First notice the ring of the toad, as I am crossing the Common in front of the meeting-house. 

There is a cool and breezy south wind, and the ring of the first toad leaks into the general stream of sound, unnoticed by most, as the mill-brook empties into the river and the voyager cannot tell if he is above or below its mouth. The bell was ringing for town meeting, and every one heard it, but none heard this older and more universal bell, rung by more native Americans all the land over. It is a sound from amid the waves of the aerial sea, that breaks on our ears with the surf of the air, a sound that is almost breathed with the wind, taken into the lungs instead of being heard by the ears. It comes from far over or through the troughs of the aerial sea, like a petrel, and who can guess by what pool the singer sits? whether behind the meeting-house horse-sheds, or from over the burying- ground hill, or from the riverside? 

A new reign has commenced. Bufo the First has ascended to his throne, the surface of the earth, led into office by the south wind. Bufo the Double-chinned inflates his throat. Attend to his message. Take off your greatcoats, swains! and prepare for the summer campaign. Hop a few paces further toward your goals. The measures I shall advocate are warmth, moisture, and low-flying insects. 

White-throated sparrow in shrub oaks by Walden road. 

Is that moss with little green pendulous fruit on reddish stems Bryum pyriform? 

Apparently a skunk has picked up what I took to be the dead shrew in the Goose Pond Path. How they ransack the paths these nights ! The ground is spotted with their probings. 

Plucked the Arum triphyllum, three inches high, with its acrid corm (solid bulb), from the edge of Saw Mill Brook. 

It is foolish for a man to accumulate material wealth chiefly, houses and land. Our stock in life, our real estate, is that amount of thought which we have had, which we have thought out. The ground we have thus created is forever pasturage for our thoughts. I fall back on to visions which I have had. What else adds to my possessions and makes me rich in all lands? If you have ever done any work with these finest tools, the imagination and fancy and reason, it is a new creation, independent on the world, and a possession forever. You have laid up something against a rainy day. You have to that extent cleared the wilderness. Is a house but a gall on the face of the earth, a nidus which some insect has provided for its young?

H. D. Thoreau, Journal, May 1, 1857

Apparently a skunk has picked up what I took to be the dead shrew in the Goose Pond Path. See July 31, 1856 ("Another short-tailed shrew dead in the wood-path."); July 12, 1856 (“I have found them thus three or four times before. . . .Have I not commonly noticed them dead after rain?”)

Plucked the Arum triphyllum, three inches high, with its acrid corm. See May 19, 1851 ("Find the Arum triphyllum and the nodding trillium, or wake-robin, in Conant's Swamp.")

Thoughts of autumn occupy my mind, and the memory of past years.

July 31. 

Thursday. P. M. — To Decodon Pond. 

Erigeron Canadensis, some time. Alisma mostly gone to seed. Thoroughwort, several days. Penthorum, a good while. 

Trichostema has now for some time been springing up in the fields, giving out its aromatic scent when bruised, and I see one ready to open. 

For a morning or two I have noticed dense crowds of little tender whitish parasol toadstools, one inch or more in diameter, and two inches high or more, with simple plaited wheels, about the pump platform; first fruit of this dog-day weather. 

Measured a Rudbeckia hirta flower; more than three inches and three eighths in diameter. 

As I am going across to Bear Garden Hill, I see much white Polygala sanguinea with the red in A. Wheeler's meadow (next to Potter's). 

Also much of the Bartonia tenella, which has been out some days at least, five rods from ditch, and three from Potter's fence. 

Went through Potter's Aster Radula swamp this dog-day afternoon. As I make my way amid rank weeds still wet with the dew, the air filled with a decaying musty scent and the z-ing of small locusts, I hear the distant sound of a flail, and thoughts of autumn occupy my mind, and the memory of past years.

Some late rue leaves on a broken twig have turned all a uniform clear purple. 

How thick the berries — low blackberries, Vaccinium vacillans, and huckleberries — on the side of Fair Haven Hill ! The berries are large, for no drought has shrunk them. They are very abundant this year to compensate for the want of them the last. The children should grow rich if they can get eight cents a quart for blackberries, as they do. 

Again I am attracted by the hoary, as it were misty morning light on the base of the upper leaves of the velvety Pycnanthemum incanum. It is the most interesting of this genus here. 

The smooth sumach is pretty generally crimson-berried on the Knoll, and its lower leaves are scarlet-tipped (though there are some blossoms yet), but the Rhus copallina there is not yet out. 

See dense fields of the great epilobium now in its prime, like soldiers in the meadow, resounding with the hum of bees. The butterflies are seen on the pearly everlasting, etc., etc. 

Hieracium paniculatum by Gerardia quercifolia path in woods under Cliffs, two or three days. 

Elodea two and a half feet high, how long? The flowers at 3 p. m. nearly shut, cloudy as it is. Yet the next day, later, I saw some open, I think. 

Another short-tailed shrew dead in the wood-path.

Near Well Meadow, hear the distant scream of a hawk, apparently anxious about her young, and soon a large apparent hen-hawk (?) comes and alights on the very top of the highest pine there, within gunshot, and utters its angry scream. This a sound of the season when they probably are taking their first (?) flights. 

See yellow Bethlehem-star still. 

As I look out through the woods westward there, I see, sleeping and gleaming through the stagnant, misty, glaucous dog-day air, i. e. blue mist, the smooth silvery surface of Fair Haven Pond. There is a singular charm about it in this setting. The surface has a dull, gleaming polish on it, though draped in this glaucous mist. 

The Solidago gigantea (?), three-ribbed, out a long time at Walden shore by railroad, more perfectly out than any solidago I have seen. I will call this S. gigantea, yet it has a yellowish-green stem, slightly pubescent above, and leaves slightly rough to touch above, rays small, about fifteen.

Mine must be the Aster Radula (if any) of Gray, yet the scales of the involucre are not appressed, but rather sub-squamose, nor is it rare. Pursh describes it, or the Radula, as white-flowered, and mentions several closely allied species. 

Wade through the northernmost Andromeda Pond. Decodon not nearly out there. Do I not see some kind of sparrow about the shore, with yellow beneath? Mountain cranberries apparently full grown, many at least.

H. D. Thoreau, Journal, July 31, 1856

Trichostema has now for some time been springing up in the fields, giving out its aromatic scent. See Jujy 31, 1854 ("Blue-curls."); July 11, 1853 ("The aromatic trichostema now springing up"). See also A Book of the Seasons, by Henry Thoreau, Blue-Curls

This dog-day afternoon . . .  the air filled with a decaying musty scent and the z-ing of small locusts. See July 31, 1855 ("Our dog-days seem to be turned to a rainy season.") July 31, 1859 ("It is emphatically one of the dog-days. A dense fog, not clearing off till we are far on our way, and the clouds (which did not let in any sun all day) were the dog-day fog and mist, which threatened no rain. A muggy but comfortable day."); July 31, 1860 ("Decidedly dog-days, and a strong musty scent, not to be wondered at after the copious rains and the heat of yesterday.") See also A Book of the Seasons, by Henry Thoreau, Locust, Dogdayish Days and August 2, 1859 ("That fine z-ing of locusts in the grass which I have heard for three or four days is an August sound.")

Thoughts of autumn occupy my mind, and the memory of past years. See August 7, 1854 ("I am not so much reminded of former years, as of existence prior to years.”) See also Farewell, my friend

Another short-tailed shrew dead in the wood-path. See July 12, 1856 (“I have found them thus three or four times before.”)

July 31.  See A Book of the Seasons, by Henry Thoreau July 31

Thoughts of autumn and

the memory of past years

occupy my mind.

A Book of the Seasons, by Henry Thoreau, Thoughts of autumn

A Book of the Seasons, by Henry Thoreau

"A book, each page written in its own season,

out-of-doors, in its own locality."

 ~edited, assembled and rewritten by zphx ©  2009-2024

Have I not commonly noticed them dead after rain?

July 12

P. M. — Down Turnpike to Red Lily Meadow. 

Hear the plaintive note of young bluebirds, a reviving and gleaming of their blue ray. 

In Moore's meadow by Turnpike, see the vetch in purple patches weighing down the grass, as if a purple tinge were reflected there. 

White vervain. Smooth sumach, apparently yesterday. Rue is beginning now to whiten the meadows on all hands. 

The Ranunculus aquatilis appears to be about done, though it may have been submerged by the rain of yesterday. I see hardly one freshly open, and it  quite moist and lowering yet. 

By the myosotis ditch there, is an abundance of Galium trifidum (apparently obtusum or latifolium, in press). It is densely massed and quite prickly, with three corolla-lobes. As yet I think I have observed only two varieties of G. trifidum, smooth and rough. 

Lactuca sanguinea, some time, with dark-purple stem, widely branched. Pycnanthemum muticum and the narrow-leaved, not long.

short tail shrew dead in the trail

(avesong September 17, 2023)

In the still wet road on the hill, just beyond Lincoln bound, a short-tailed shrew (Sorex brevicaudus of Say), dead after the rain. I have found them thus three or four times before. 

It is 4 1/2 inches long; tail 1+; head and snout, 1+. Roundish body. Lead-color above, somewhat lighter beneath, with a long snout, 3/8 inch beyond lower jaw, incisors black, delicate light-colored (almost silvery) mustachial bristles, and also from lower lip; nose emarginate; nails long and slender, a purple bar across each; ears white and concealed in the fur; the nostrils plainly perforated, though Emmons says that in the specimens of Sorex he had seen he could detect no perforations with a microscope. It has a peculiar but not very strong muskiness. 

There was an insect-wing in its mouth. Its numerous teeth distinct. 

Have I not commonly noticed them dead after rain? I am surprised to read in Emmons that it was first observed in Missouri, and that he has "not been able to meet with it" and doubts its existence in the State; retains it on the authority of former catalogues; says it nests on the surface and is familiar with water. 

In spirits. [Given to Agassiz]

Red lilies in prime, single upright fiery flowers, their throats how splendidly and variously spotted, hardly two of quite the same hue and not two spotted alike, —leopard-spotted, — averaging a foot or more in height, amid the huckleberry and lambkill, etc., in the moist, meadowy pasture. 

Apparently a bluebird's egg in a woodpecker's hole in an apple tree, second brood, just laid. In collection. 

Parsnip at Bent's orchard; how long? Also on July 5th, almost out. Agrimony well out. Chestnut in prime. 

See Lysimachia quadrifolia with from three to five (or six?) leaves in a whorl. 

Iberis umbellata, candytuft, roadside, Turtle's, naturalized; how long? New plant.

H. D. Thoreau, Journal, July 12, 1856

Hear the plaintive note of young bluebirds. See June 13, 1852 ("I hear the feeble plaintive note of young bluebirds, just trying their wings or getting used to them."); June 13, 1858 ("I hear the peculiar notes of young bluebirds that have flown") See also A Book of the Seasons, by Henry Thoreau, Young Birds

A short-tailed shrew dead after the rain. I have found them thus three or four times before. See May 1, 1857 ("Apparently a skunk has picked up what I took to be the dead shrew in the Goose Pond Path."); July 31, 1856 ("Another short-tailed shrew dead in the wood-path.")

Emmons doubts its existence in the State. See Ebenezer Emmons, Report on the Quadrupeds of Massachusetts 13 (1840) ("The Shrews are remarkable for their glandular apparatus, which gives them the strong musky odor . . . I have not been able to meet with it, and I have some doubts of the existence of this species Within the limits of this State . . . From the fact, that in the summer many are found dead without any external injury, it is supposed that an annual mortality prevails among them. It is suggested, however, that it may arise from a deficiency of food produced in a dry season by the escape of worms on which they feed.")

A bluebird's egg in a woodpecker's hole in an apple tree. See June 23, 1856 ("White eggs taken from a hole in an apple tree eight feet from ground . . .  I saw a blue feather in it and apparently a bluebird’s nest. Were not these the eggs of a downy woodpecker laid in a bluebird’s nest?")

July 12. See A Book of the Seasons, by Henry Thoreau, July 12

In the still wet road

an insect wing in its mouth

a short-tail shrew dead.

A Book of the Seasons,  by Henry Thoreau, Dead after rain

A Book of the Seasons,  by Henry Thoreau

"A book, each page written in its own season,

out-of-doors, in its own locality.”

~edited, assembled and rewritten by zphx © 2009-2026

https://tinyurl.com/hdt-560712