102 Preble — A New Mlcrosorex from Vicinity of Washington, D. C. 



Collection. 9 young adult, skin and skull. Collected by Edward A. 

 Preble, April 25, 1903. 



General chnrncters. — Similar to Mirrnaorex hoyi, l)ut considerably 

 smaller; braincase proportionally higher and more rounded. 



(.'olor. — Upperparts grayish brown, slightly tinged about head and face 

 with ochraceous ; lowerparts ashy-gray, the line of demarcation being quite 

 distinct; tail bicolor, the upper surface like the back, the lower silvery 

 gray. The type is apj^arently in summer pelage, and tlie hair is much 

 shorter than that of the Berwyn specimen, taken in winter. 



Cranial anddentnl characters. — Compared with skulls of Microsorexhoyi 

 from Elk River, ■Minnesota, assumed to be typical, the skull oi Microsorex 

 winnemana is decidedly smaller; the braincase more rounded and rela- 

 tively higher; the rostrum proportionally shorter and lighter, and in 

 consequence the teeth much crowded, the minute third unicuspid being 

 detected with difficulty. The teeth do not differ essentially in shape 

 ■from those of Mlcrosorex hoyi. 



Measurements. — Type measured in flesh: Total length, 78; tail verte- 

 brae, 28; hind foot, 9 (in M. hoyi 10 to 10.5 mm.). The specimen from 

 Berwyn, ^Maryland, measured: 86; 29; 9.5. Skull of type: Greatest 

 length, 13.8; breadth of braincase, 6. Skulls of M. hoyi measured ap- 

 proximately 15.5 by 7 mm. 



Remarks. — Microsorex winnemana is the smallest species of shrew (and 

 therefore the smallest mammal) thus far discovered in America. Tlie 

 specific name vjinnemnna (l)eautiful island) is in allusion to Plummer's 

 Island, the home of the Washington Biologists' Field Club, near 'which 

 the type specimen was taken. 



While comparing the Berwyn specimen Gerrit S. INIiller, Jr., and Ned 

 Ilollister brought to light a peculiar situation regarding the supposed type 

 of Microsorer hoyi. Baird in his original description oiSorex hoyi ( Rep. Exp. 

 & Sur. R. R. Pac. VIII, p. 32, 1857) described and listed two specimens, 

 both from Racine, Wisconsin, an alcoholic (No. 1688), with skull in situ, 

 and a skin with its skull (No. iW-). in his plate (PI. XXVIII) he figures 

 the alcoholic (No. 1688), and a skull without number) which would nat- 

 urally be assumed to belong to the alcoholic. Lyon and Osgood (Bull. 62, 

 U. S. Nat. Mus. p. 244, 1909), regard No. 1688 as the type. Miller and 

 Ilollister, however, inform me that No. 1688 is an undoubted Sorex per- 

 sonatus, as shown by the skull, which has never been removed but has 

 been partially bared to expose tlie teeth. Since the skull figured l)y Baird 

 does not belong to No. 1688, it is fair to presume that it represents his 

 other specimen. No. 1783. It is plain that this skull, which is still in the 

 U. S. National Museum, should be regarded as the type of Sorex hoyi 

 Baird, and it is so considered l)y INIiller and Hollister. 



