Vol. 32, pp. 23-24 April 11, 1919 



PROCEEDINGS 



OF THE 



BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON 



AN UNRECOGNIZED SHREW FROM WARREN ISLAND, 



ALASKA. 



BY HARTLEY H. T. JACKSON. 



A careful study of Alaskan shrews of the obscurus group in 

 the collection of the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, Uni- 

 versity of California, in connection with specimens of this 

 group in the collection of the U. S. Biological Survey, shows 

 that it is necessary to recognize by name those which inhabit 

 Warren Island. I am indebted to Dr. Joseph Grinnell, Director 

 of the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, for the privilege of 

 describing this shrew from the collection under his adminis- 

 tration. It may be known by the following diagnosis: 



Sorex obscurus malitiosus, 1 subsp. nov. 



Type. — Adult 9 , skin and skull, No. 8401, Museum of Vertebrate 

 Zoology, University of California; from east side of Warren Island, Alaska; 

 collected May 21, 1909, by H. S. Swarth. Original number 7532. 



General characters. — Similar in size and superficial appearance to Sorex 

 obscurus longicauda. Skull slightly more flattened than that of longi- 

 cauda of corresponding age, the lachrymal foramen smaller and superior 

 portion of rostrum broader. Larger than Sorex obscurus elassodon with 

 relatively larger feet; skull broader than that of elassodon with longer 

 rostrum. Larger than Sorex obscurus alascensis with longer tail; skull 

 larger than that of alascensis, more flattened and averaging broader 

 interorbitally. 



Color. — Type in fresh summer pelage: Essentially like specimens of 

 S. o. longicauda in similar pelage. Upperparts about mummy brown 2 

 becoming a very trifle darker on the posterior parts, and paling gradually 

 into a drabbish on the flanks; underparts smoke gray heavily washed 

 and mixed with between drab and wood brown; tail bicolor, between olive- 

 brown and sepia above, between buffy brown and tawny-olive below nearly 



i Latin, full of wickedness, knavish. 



SRidgway, R., Color standards and color nomenclature, 1912. 



8— Pboc. Biol. Soc. Wash., Vol. 32, 1919. (23) 



