Rev. L. Jenyns on the British Shrews. 427 



middle incisors and the first molar. In a young individual of 

 the S. leucodon (brought from Germany by Mr. Ogilby), in 

 which species the first lateral incisor is very much larger, in 

 relation to the following ones^ than in any of those met with 

 in our own country, this tooth, in addition to the middle inci- 

 sors and the molars, was found prominent, whilst the second 

 and third lateral incisors were still concealed. This individual 

 was sufficiently grown to have attained the length of 2J 

 inches, and so little did it wear any appearance of immaturity, 

 that the characters of the teeth might at first have been con- 

 sidered as indicating a peculiar type of dentition quite distinct 

 from that which belongs to the adult animal. It was not till 

 the investing periosteum had been removed with the point of 

 a needle that the anomaly was explained. 



In the case of very old specimens, the teeth lose much of 

 their true character, in consequence of the attrition to which 

 they become subjected by long use. In one individual of the 

 S. tetragonumiS) in my possession, the alteration from this cir- 

 cumstance is very considerable. The upper middle incisors 

 are positively ground down to beyond the point of bifurca- 

 tion, so as to have entirely lost all appearance of their original 

 typical form : the edge of the lower incisors has become en- 

 tire, the denticulations being quite effaced, and no trace of 

 colouring (which is generally confined to the tips of the teeth) 



anywhere remains*. 



Swaffham Bulbeck, June 8, 1838. 



* [It may be well to direct the author's attention, as well as that of the 

 reader, to a very valuable memoir lately published in Wiegmann's Archiv, 

 (Part I. for 1838) on the European shrews, by H. Nathusius. In this paper, 

 which is only the first and historical part, the author carefully reviews the 

 various works and memoirs on this interesting family, and thus notices Mr. 

 Jenyns' s first memoir published in the second volume of the Magazine of 

 Zoology and Botany: "The most recent paper with which I am acquainted 

 is a very excellent memoir, by Jenyns, on the British shrews. In this Du- 

 vernoy's incorrect statement respecting the dentition of the Hydrosoridce 

 has unfortunately caused a new error. Jenyns fully proves that S. Araneus 

 of all English authors is not the species described by Daubenton, but the S. 

 tetragonurus, Herm., and considers it probable that Linnaeus was acquainted 

 with this species, which, from Swedish specimens and Linnaeus's first state- 

 ment, now appears to me to be no longer at all doubtful. S. Araneus is 

 stated hitherto never to have been seen in England. Respecting the British 

 water shrew, Jenyns is however in error, as, following Duvernoy's descrip- 

 tion, he considers it to be different from the one of the continent ; he there- 

 fore, with Shaw, names it S. bicolor. From his good description, however, 

 it is evident that they do not differ from one another." 



The author, after going through the history of this family, has carefully 

 arranged the numerous synonyms in chronological order. — Edit.] 



