422 Rev. L. Jenyns on the British Shrews. 



tural History Society in January last*, he assigns the same 

 dentition to the S. fodiens of Gmelin as he assigns to that 

 subdivision of the genus Sorex, to which our own species un- 

 doubtedly belongs. He has also considered the S. fodiens of 

 Gmelin as synonymous with the S. carinatus of Hermann. 



With regard to the S. remifer of English naturalists, I have 

 only to observe that it appears to be so very much smaller 

 than the S. remifer of Geoffroy, that I can hardly believe it to 

 be the same as that species. And whether it be or be not, the 

 name first imposed on it by Sowerby having the precedency, 

 it will be more proper that in accordance with that author it 

 should be called S. ciliatus. 



Synopsis of British Shrews. 

 SOREX, Linn. 

 Two middle incisors much produced; the upper ones curved, 

 with a spur behind more or less prolonged ; the lower ones 

 almost horizontal; lateral incisors or false grinders, small, 

 ^T : irt > true grinders 4 : T? ^ ur snort an( i s °ft j snout at- 

 tenuated ; tail long. 



1. AmphisorexJ, Duv. 



Middle incisors in the lower jaw with the edge denticulated ; 



the upper ones forked, the spur behind being prolonged to a 



level with the point in front ; the lateral incisors which follow 



in the upper jaw 5 in number, and diminishing gradually in 



* For an abstract of this paper sec L'Institut, No. 226. p. 111. 



f None of the British species yet discovered have less than four lateral 

 incisors above on each side. 



X This group was denominated by M. Duvernoy in his first memoir Hy- 

 drosorex ; but having discovered that it did not include the S. fodiens, 

 Gmel., a species pre-eminently aquatic, he has since transferred the name 

 of Hydrosorex to the next group, to which this species apparently belongs. 



Of Duvernoy 's first subordinate group (Sorex, Duv.) no species has been 

 as yet detected in Great Britain. It may be useful, nevertheless, to annex 

 its characters, which may assist in determining any which may chance to 

 be met with. 



Middle incisors in the lower jaw with an entire or simple edge ; the upper 

 ones notched, or with the spur appearing as a point behind ; the lateral in- 

 cisors which follow in the upper jaw three or four in number, and diminishing 

 rapidly in size from the first to the last; none of the teeth coloured. 



According to Duvernoy this group comprises all the extra-European spe- 

 cies, besides two (S. Araneus, Geoff., and S. leucodon, Herm.,) which are 

 met with on the continent. 



