Vol. 30, pp. 149-150 July 27, 1917 



PROCEEDINGS 



OF THE 



BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON 



A NEW SHREW FROM NOVA SCOTIA. 

 BY HARTLEY H. T. JACKSON. 



In the process of a monographic revision of the American 

 Soricidae, being made for the U. S. Biological Survey, it be- 

 comes necessary to name an unrecognized form of the Sorex 

 fumeus group. It may be known by the following diagnosis : 



Sorex fumeus umbrosus, subsp. nov. 



Type-specimen.— Adult d\ skin and skull, No. 150,065, U. S. National 

 Museum. Biological Survey Collection; from James River, Antigonish 

 County, Nova Scotia; collected July 29, 1907, by W. H. Osgood. Original 

 number 3140. 



Geographic range. — Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, southeastern Quebec 

 and Maine. 



General characters. — Similar to Sorex fumeus fumeus but averaging 

 slightly larger, and in summer pelage distinctly less reddish brown (more 

 grayish) on upperparts. 



Color. — Winter pelage: Distinctly grayish. Upperparts in general 

 effect either mouse gray * or deep mouse gray, more or less finely flecked 

 with whitish hair-tips. Underparts a trifle paler than upperparts, mouse 

 gray, frequently silvery in certain lights. Tail distinctly bicolor, fuscous 

 above, chamois or honey yellow below nearly to tip; feet and tarsi 

 chamois, the outer edges dusky. Summer pelage: Brown of the upper- 

 parts noticeably less reddish than in S. f. fumeus. Upperparts fuscous- 

 black mixed with grayish; underparts drab mixed with deep neutral 

 gray of base of hairs; tail bicolor, fuscous-black above, honey yellow, 

 cinnamon-buff, or chamois below nearly to tip; feet and tarsi as in 

 winter. 



Skull.— -Similar to that of S. f. fumeus, possibly averaging slightly 

 larger. Medium in size, relatively short and broad, with short rostrum, 

 and relatively short and broad interorbital region; braincase moderately 

 flattened; infraorbital foramen large and placed well back: dentition 



* Ridgway, K., Color standards and color nomenclature, 1912. 



iii— Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., Vol. 30, 1917. (119) 



