SHOT. See LEAD, vol. x., p. 262. SHOVELLER. See DUCK, vol. vi., p. 289. SHREVEPORT, a city and the capital of Caddo parish, Louisiana, in the N. W. corner of the state, on the W. bank of Red river, at the head of low-water navigation, 330 m. above its mouth according to Humphreys and Abbot, or 500 m. by local authorities; pop. in 1870, 4,607, of whom 2,168 were colored. It has since been enlarged, and the population in 1875 was locally estimated at 12,000. It contains many handsome residences and substantial business structures, is lighted with gas, and has a good fire department and several miles of street railroad. The principal public buildings are the new market, costing $50,000; the Presbyterian church, costing $35,000; and the synagogue, a fine specimen of architecture. The surrounding country is very productive, and the climate is mild and generally healthful. Shreveport is the E. terminus of the Texas and Pacific railroad, which affords an all-rail route to St. Louis via Marshall, Tex. Steamers run regularly to New Orleans and intermediate points on the Red and Mississippi rivers. The trade is extensive and increasing, the value of shipments amounting to about $7,500,000 a year, and the sales of merchandise to about $7,000,000. The shipments of cotton average 100,000 bales annually, including about 20,000 bales from the upper Red river reshipped at this point. The transactions in hides, wool, and tallow are also considerable. The principal manufactories are two of carriages, one each of cotton gins, cotton-seed oil, sash and blinds, and spokes and hubs, three founderies and machine shops, a planing mill, two saw mills, and three breweries. There are three private banks, two public schools (one for white and one for colored children), nine private and denominational schools and academies, two daily and weekly newspapers, and eleven churches (Baptist, Episcopal, Jewish, Methodist, Presbyterian, and Roman Catholic), of which five are for colored people. Shreveport was incorporated in 1839.

SHREW, or Shrew Mouse, the common name of the insectivorous mammals of the family 80ricida, characterized by a general rat-like or mouse-like appearance, elongated and pointed muzzle, and soft fur. The distinct auricle of the ears, and the normal size of the anterior feet, not usually employed in digging, distinguish them from the moles. The skull is long and narrow, compressed at the orbits, malar bone and zygomatic arch wanting; the ribs are 12 to 14 pairs, 6 to 8 vertebræ without ribs, 3 to 5 sacral, 14 to 28 caudal; tibia and fibula united, clavicles thin, and pubic arch closed; stomach simple; cæcum in some absent, in others very large; on the sides of the body, nearest the anterior limbs, and in some at the base of the tail, is a series of glands which secrete a strong musky fluid. The teeth vary from 28 to 32; there are two very large incisors in each jaw, nearly horizontal in the

lower and much curved in the upper; canines absent; premolars - to -, molars; the posterior molars are many-pointed, and the anterior ones conical; the precise homologies of the cheek teeth have been the subject of much controversy. The snout ends in a naked muffle with the nostrils pierced on the sides; eyes very small, ears distinct, and feet nearly plantigrade and usually naked beneath; mammæ six to ten; feet five-toed, each with a claw. Their food consists of insects, worms, and mollusks, though they sometimes destroy small vertebrates and devour each other; they are nocturnal, more or less aquatic, do not hibernate, and the young are born blind and naked; most of the species live on the surface of the ground, and a few in burrows. They are spread over the northern hemisphere, sometimes going very far north, and the smaller species enduring severe cold. The subfamily soricine is the only one represented in North America; other subfamilies are found in south and central Africa, Asia, the East Indies, and Europe; none as yet have been detected in South America.-Of the American genera, neosorex (Baird) has rather short ears, partly furred on both surfaces; teeth 32; tail longer than body and head, and hairs of equal length except a tuft at the tip; feet very large, with a fringe of ciliated hairs; muzzle very slender. In the genus sorex (Linn.), which contains a great part of the species of the new and old worlds, the ears are large and valvular, the tail about as long as the body, and the feet moderate and not fringed; it is divided into two sections, one with 32 and the other with 30 teeth, most of the American species belonging in the former. Prof. Baird describes 12 species in vol. viii. of the Pacific railroad reports, varying in length from 3 to 4 in., of which the tail is about one half, ranging from blackish and brownish to grayish above and lighter to whitish below. The S. personatus (Geoffr.) is the least of the American shrews, and among

In the genus blarina (Gray) the body is stout; the tail shorter than the head, with short bristly hairs and small brush at tip; the hands large in proportion to the feet, and the soles usually hairy at the heels; skull short and broad; ears very short, with the external surface densely furred. This genus, peculiar to America, is also divided into sections, one with 32, the other with 30 teeth. The mole shrew (B. talpoides, Gray), the largest of the American shrews, 4 in. long, is found from Nova Scotia to Lake Superior, and south to Georgia; it is

Common European Shrew (Sorex araneus).

dark ashy gray above and paler below, with whitish feet. Several other species are described by Baird, of which two are in Mexico and Texas. In the old world, among the species of sorex, subdivided into several by Wagler, and called musaraignes by the French, is the common European shrew (S. araneus, Linn.), 4 to 5 in. long, of which the tail is 1 in.; the color is reddish mouse above and grayish below; it is found in dry places very generally over Europe.-The shrews appear during the miocene age in small numbers, and continue through the diluvial epoch to the present time, without material change.

SHREW MOLE. See MOLE.

SHREWSBURY, the shire town of Shropshire, England, on the river Severn, 140 m. N. W. of London; pop. in 1871, 23,406. The remains of the ancient castle are still standing, and also a portion of the ancient walls of the city. The Severn is crossed by two bridges; there is a canal, and railways connect it with all parts of the kingdom. Shrewsbury is the seat of a Roman Catholic bishop, and in 1872 had 32 places of worship. The principal manufactures consist of thread, linen yarn, and canvas; and there are extensive iron works at Coleham, a suburb. The salmon fishery of the Severn is valuable. There is a considerable trade in Welsh flannels.-Shrewsbury was important in the 5th century, and is prominent in English history as a royal residence for short periods. Its original name of Pengwern

was changed by the Saxons to Scrobbesbyrig (Scrubsborough), of which Shrewsbury is a corruption. Parliaments were held here in 1283 and 1398; and a battle was fought here in 1403 between the royalist troops and the insurgents under Douglas and Hotspur, in which the latter was killed. (See PEROY.) SHRIKE. See BUTCHER BIRD.

SHRIMP, a common decapod or ten-footed and long-tailed crustacean, of the genus crangon (Fabr.); with the prawn (palamon) it is called crevette by the French. The integument is corneous, the carapace considerably flattened, the abdomen very large, and the tail powerful; the rostrum very short; eyes large and free; antennæ inserted about on the same transverse line, the internal pair the shortest and ending in two many-jointed filaments, the outer larger and longer; mandibles slender and without palpi; jaw feet moderate, with a terminal flattened joint and a short palpus on the inside; sternum very wide behind; first pair of feet strong, ending in a flattened hand having a movable hook opposed to an immovable tooth; second and third pairs of legs very slender, and the fourth and fifth much stronger; branchiæ seven on each side, consisting of horizontal lamellæ; false swimming feet on under side of abdomen large, and caudal plates wide. The common shrimp (C. vulgaris, Fabr.) is 1 to 2 in. long, greenish gray spotted with brown; the carapace is smooth, except a spine behind the rostrum, one on the sternum, and seven on each side of the thorax; abdomen without ridges or spines, and middle caudal plate pointed and not grooved below. It is common on the coasts of Europe, and in England and France it is much used as food. The shrimpers catch these animals in large nets with a semicircular mouth, which they push before them along the bottom during ebb tide; this fishery gives employment to many hundred people in Great Britain. Shrimps are used in the United States chiefly as bait. They spawn throughout most of the year, carrying the eggs

is trade in grain, wine, silk goods, copper ware, | morocco, soap, and candles.-This town, originally called Shumen or Shumna, was burned in 811 by the emperor Nicephorus, and in 1087 it was besieged by Alexis Comnenus. It was taken by the Turks in 1387, and embellished and fortified in 1689 and the 90 years that followed, mainly by the grand vizier Hassan, whose tomb is the most remarkable monument of the city. In all the wars between Turkey and Russia, it has formed the point of concentration of the Turkish army. The Russians attempted unsuccessfully to take it in 1774, in 1810, and in 1828.

SHURTLEFF COLLEGE, an institution of learning under the control of the Baptists, at Upper Alton, Madison co., Illinois, 13 m. E. of the city of Alton. It was established in 1832 under the title of Alton seminary, and chartered in 1835 as Alton college. In 1836 its name was changed in honor of Benjamin Shurtleff, M. D., of Boston, who had given it $10,000. It was designed especially for the education of young men for the ministry, but a distinct theological department was not organized till 1863. The institution now consists of an academic and preparatory department, Kendall institute for young ladies, the college, and the theological department. Both sexes are admitted to the academic and preparatory department and to the college. The latter has a classical and a scientific course, on the completion of which the degrees of bachelor of arts and bachelor of philosophy respectively are conferred. Kendall institute, established in 1873, has a fine building and grounds, and is chiefly used as a home for young ladies attending the other departments. Tuition is free in the theological department, and several scholarships have been founded to provide for the tuition of needy students in the other departments. Additional aid is afforded to needy candidates for the ministry by the "Illinois Baptist Education Society." The libraries of the institution contain 7,300 volumes. The number of instructors in 1874-5 was 14; of students, 204 (154 males and 50 females), viz.: theological department, 5; college, 53; academic and preparatory department, 146. The whole number of students has been 3,825; of graduates, 159. The property of the institution amounts to about $180,000; the debt to $30,000. SHUVALOFF, Count. See supplement. SIAM, the chief kingdom of the peninsula styled Indo-China, or Further India. Siyam, from the dark color of the inhabitants or of the soil, is the ancient, and Muang Thai, the kingdom of the free, the modern native appellation for the country; Thai, the free, for the people. With its Laos, Cambodian, and Malay peninsular dependencies, it lies between lat. 4° and 22° N., and between lon. 97° and 106° E.; greatest length 1,350 m., breadth 450 m.; area estimated at about 300,000 sq. m.; pop. about 5,750,000. The capital is Bangkok. Siam proper lies mainly between lat.

13° and 18° and lon. 98° and 102°, being bounded by its dependencies, the gulf of Siam, and the British territory of Tenasserim. Two mountain ranges, extending mainly S. E. from the Himalaya, form general natural divisions from China on the north, and partly from Anam on the east and Burmah and the British possessions on the west. A third range, less continuous and direct, passes through the central regions; in this is situated the P'hra Bat, or mountain of "the sacred foot" (footprint) of Buddha, a Mecca for Buddhists. The gulf of Siam, between Siam proper and the Malay peninsula, forms a long coast line, and has numerous islands, much precipitous shore, and several ports, of which Bangkok is the chief. It is never visited by typhoons or heavy gales.-The country is watered by several rivers, bearing the generic name Menam, "mother of waters," and taking the specific name or names from cities or provinces. The Menam Kong, Mekong, or river of Cambodia, 1,800 m. long, traverses in its middle course the N. E. or Laos dependencies of Siam. (See MEKONG.) The Menam Chow P'ya, Menam Bangkok, or simply the Menam, rises in the north and flows S. through the centre of Siam proper into the gulf of Siam. Its length is about 600 m.; its principal tributary is the Meping from the west. Bangkok, Ayuthia, Angtong, and other towns are situated on the Menam. The Salwen flows on the border of British Burmah. These rivers, with the very numerous intersecting canals, for rowing, not tracking, are the great highways of traffic. The plains, irrigated and enriched by their annual overflow, are extensive and fertile; the valley of the Menam equals in richness that of the Nile, and in extent half of the state of New York.-The seasons are two, the wet or hot and the dry or cool. The former, opening near the middle of March, is not a succession of wholly rainy days, but resembles a New York April and August combined. The annual rainfall is about 60 inches. April, the hottest month, has at Bangkok a maximum of 97° F. and a mean of 84°. In October the S. W. monsoon gives place to the N. E., which ushers in the dry and cool season; this is very fine, with only a few light showers throughout. January is the coolest month; but the mercury rarely falls below 65°. The mean annual temperature is 824°, and the mean range 13°. Vegetation is luxurious, fruitful, and beautiful beyond description, and the soil yields a rich return to rude and careless cultivation. Rice, sugar, pepper, cotton, and hemp are the staple products. In the abundance, variety, and excellence of fruits, vegetables, and spices, Siam is unsurpassed. Many fruits, as the durian, mangosteen, and custard apple, are cultivated in large gardens or orchards, trenched, and watered by the daily tide. In the forests are found gutta percha, lac, dammar, gamboge, catechu, gum benjamin, and the odoriferous agila or eagle wood; innumerable medicinal

The animal

plants, herbs, and roots; sapan, fustic, indigo, and other dyes; the lofty silk-cotton tree, with its soft silky floss for mattresses, but too brittle for the loom; the bamboo, the rattan, and the atap, together forming the material of three fourths of the houses; the teak, with other ship and house timbers; iron, red, and white woods, rose woods, and ebony; the banian, and the sacred fig tree. kingdom is no less varied and interesting. Most celebrated is the white elephant, a dark-cream albino, prized and honored as very rare, and when captured belonging to the king. The national standard is a white elephant on a crimson ground, and the royal seal, medals, and money bear the same device. Albino deer, monkeys, and even tortoises are sometimes found, and the natives believe white animals to be the abode of transmigrating souls. The elephants of Siam attain a size and strength unsurpassed in other countries, and are much prized throughout India. Among other animals are the rhinoceros, tiger, leopard, bear, pangolin, otter, musk civet, wild hogs, ourang outangs and other apes, monkeys, and deer; dogs and cats, wild and domestic, are innumerable. The forests abound in peacocks, pheasants, pigeons, and other birds; aquatic birds of all kinds are numerous; the sea swallow which produces the edible nest is common. Among the reptiles are the crocodile, turtle, python, cobra de capello, numerous other snakes, and several varieties of lizards. Fish are plentiful, but of poor quality. The most noteworthy insect is the coccus ficus, which produces the lac of commerce by punctures in resinous trees. Gold, copper, iron, tin, and lead all abound, in great purity; but by reason of the rudeness of working, the jealousy toward foreigners, and the fevers and hardships of the jungle, their vast wealth is comparatively undeveloped. Antimony, zinc, sulphur, and arsenic also exist, and silver in combination. Salt is largely manufactured by solar evaporation, and saltpetre less so. Mining, previously under the strict surveillance of government, and carried on chiefly by Chinese, has recently excited some interest among Europeans. Rubies, spinel, corundum, sapphire, amethyst, garnet, topaz, and other precious stones are found.-According to the French consul Garnier at Bangkok (1874), the population of Siam proper and its Laos dependencies is composed of 1,800,000 Siamese, 1,500,000 Chinese, 1,000,000 Laos, 200,000 Malays, 50,000 Cambodians, 50,000 Peguans, and 50,000 Karens and others. The Siamese are of Mongolian origin and Laos or Shyan descent. They are olive-colored and of medium height. The head is large, face broad, forehead low, cheek bones prominent, jaw bones in retreat very divergent; mouth capacious, lips thick, nose heavy, and eyes black and without the Chinese turn of the lid. The teeth are stained black, and sometimes serrated. The hair is all plucked from the face in youth, and the most of the

At

head is shaved bi-monthly. A black bristling tuft 4 or 5 in. broad and 2 in. high is left on the top; that of the women, whose hair is only closely cut, is often encircled by a thread of bare skin whence two or three hairs' breadths have been uprooted. The dress consists of a cotton waist cloth (to which women add a silk shoulder scarf), a jacket for the cold, and a straw hat for the sun. Children under seven or eight years old are clad only in jewels, fig leaves, flowers, and turmeric. Priests, with head entirely shaven and uncovered, wear several yellow robes of cotton and silk. Kings and nobles on state occasions wear silk and gold brocades and high conical hats. The Siamese are indolent, greedy, and untruthful, intemperate, servile, and superstitious. the same time they are peaceable and polite, decorous in public, and affectionate to kindred and kind to the poor and imbecile. The dwellings are of one story, partly to prevent the indignity of another's walking over the head. They consist of huts, built on piles, of bamboo, roofed and sided with atap leaf; boats, serving also as peddling stalls or vehicles; floating houses, of panelled teak, rising and falling with the tide on bamboo rafts; and palaces, of white stuccoed brick, adorned with gilding, carving, painting, foreign furniture, pictures, gold, silver, china, and glass. These palaces are not of Chinese, but rather of Indian architecture, and they often occupy several acres, with the dwellings of the wives, the quarters of the servants, and the grounds, which are paved, shaded, adorned with flowers, and enclosed by high walls. Marriage takes place as early as 18 for males and 14 for females, without the aid of magistrates or priests, though the latter may be present to make prayers, and especially to feast and to receive presents. The number of wives, ordinarily one, in the palaces reaches scores and hundreds; but the first is the wife proper, to whom the rest are subject. Social distinctions are very numerous, and in the law are represented numerically, from 100,000 for the second king down to 5 for the lowest slave. Before "the lord of life" on the throne, far above numerical representation, all crawl and crouch, or, with head bowed to the ground, lie "dust at the sacred feet." Prince is approached by noble, noble by lord, lord by master, &c., each with body bent, eyes prone, and hands folded and raised to the forebead or above the head, giving and receiving homage. An annual service of three months is paid to the king by all, save the Chinese triennially taxed. One third of the common people, it is largely estimated, are slaves by birth, by gambling or other debts, by redemption from the penalty of crime, by capture, &c. Men sell their children, their wives, or themselves; convicts in scores clank their chains about the streets; villages of thousands are made up of foreign captives. Yet Siamese life is in the main comfortable, and is moreover gladdened by many