254 REPORT ON ZOOLOGY, MDCCCXLIV. 



myosuros of Pallas must be wholly suppressed, because it is based only upon 

 an Albino specimen of one out of the four large species that are at present 

 known under the, names S. giganteus, serpcntarius, indicus, and crassicau- 

 datus. In this respect, however, Temmiuck has erred, as is proved from 

 the description left by Pallas, or by myself, of S. myosuros. His S. indicus 

 is identical with S. myosuros, and this, as being the older name, should there- 

 fore be retained. A. Smith gives, in his ' Illustrations of the Zoology of 

 South Africa,' Nos. 21 and 22, the descriptions and figures of four South 

 African species of Shrews. Three of these species, Sorex capensis, Geoffr., 

 S.jlavescens, Geoffr., and S. varius, Smuts, were already known ; the fourth, 

 S. mctriquensis, has been re-established by Smith, and belongs to the sub- 

 division Crocidura; its upper aspect is brownish red, as is also the 

 under, only the colour is lighter, and there is a pearly gray under-fur. 

 Hairs grayish black at base. Body 3" 4'". Tail 1" 10'". It is to be desired 

 that the diagnoses given by Smith were more rigidly and grammatically com- 

 posed, and that in particular the indications of colour fell into better accord- 

 ance in both languages. Thus, e. g. S. flavescens is said by him to be 

 " broccolibrowu" on the dorsal side, distinctly tinted with light yellowish 

 brown, which statement is rendered in the Latin by rufo-flavus ; more- 

 over, the ventral side is said in English to be wood-brown, in Latin 

 flavo-ciuereus ; so that, judging from such a diagnosis, one might almost 

 conclude that another species than the one described was meant. The 

 European Fauna is indebted to Nilsson for the accession of anew species of 

 Shrew, Sorex pumilus. (Horuschuch's Archiv. skand. Beitr., 1, S. 145.) This 

 S.pumilus is still smaller than S. etruscus, and belongs to the same group as S. 

 vulgaris, L. Tail slender, covered with longer hairs, between which no smaller 

 ones occur, and terminated by an acuminate pencil of hairs ; head nearly as 

 long as the whole remainder of the body ; colour, above, rusty gray brown, 

 below, white; body, 1" 4|'"; fusiform tail, 1" 21"'. Found hitherto only 

 in a single specimen in north-east of Schoneu. Now in this province S. 

 pyffmeeus has also been observed, and Nilssou surmises that, upon further 

 comparisons being instituted, it may turn out that the Shrew from Jemt- 

 laud, regarded as S. rusticus, will admit of being interpreted as S.pygmseus. 



Palaospalax is a genus that has been founded by Professor Owen upon a 

 fossil lower jaw. (Hist, of Brit. Foss. Mammal., p. 25.) It was found 

 with remains of Mammoth, Goats, and Deer upon the coast of Norfolk, 

 exhibits the nearest affinity to the Mole tribe, but is as large as that of a 

 Hedgehog. Owen designates it by the specific name of P. magmis. Upon 

 another fossil lower jaw from Hoodwell, Wood, in ' Aim. of Nat. Hist,' xiv, 

 p. 350, has based a genus of primo-muudanc Insectivora, and called it Spala- 

 codon ; but of this I know nothing further than the name. 



J. Jacobson has communicated (Forhandl. rid. dc skaud. Naturf., 



