338 UEOTRICHUS GIBSII. 



without metallic reflections, which are confined 

 to the posterior border of the black, and are 

 violet, changing to steel-blue. Length, 3*30 

 inches. Female, without the metallic markings; 

 tail-feathers tipped with white. Both have the same 

 northern and southern range as Selasplwrus rufus. 



Urotriclius Gibsii, Baird (Western slope of 

 Cascade Mountains) ; Urotriclius Talpoides, Tem- 

 minck. -This singular little animal, that appears 

 to be an intermediate link between the shrew 

 and the mole, at present is only known as an 

 inhabitant of two parts of the world, widely re- 

 moved from each other the one spot being the 

 western slope of the Cascade Mountains, in North- 

 west America, the other Japan. There are, as 

 far as I know, but two specimens extant from the 

 Cascade Mountains one in the Smithsonian Mu- 

 seum at Washington, the other a very fine speci- 

 men that I have recently brought home, and now 

 in the British Museum.* I have carefully com- 

 pared the Japanese gentleman with his brother 

 from the Western wilds, and can find no difference 

 whatever, either generically or specifically. In 

 size, colour, shape, and anatomical structure they 

 are precisely alike. 



The habits of the little fellow from Japan I 



* Vide Illustration. 



