Vol. XV pp. 75-76 March 22, 1902 



PROCEEDINGS 



OF THE 



BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON 



TWO NEW SHREWS OF THE SOREX TENELLUS 

 GROUP FROM CALIFORNIA. 



BY C. HART MERRIAM. 



In examining a batch of shrews collected by my party in the 

 High Sierra last summer, and comparing them with specimens 

 previously obtained in the mountains of eastern California by 

 the Biological Survey, I find two new forms of the rare tenellus 

 group. They may be defined as follows: 



Sorex tenellus lyelli subsp. nov. 



Type from Mt. Lyell, Tuolumne Co., California. No. 109,530 $ yg. 

 ad., U. S. National Museum, Biological Survey Collection. August 29, 

 1901. W. K. Fisher. Original No. 2275. 



Characters. — Similar to tenellus in size, cranial characters, and general 

 appearance but upperparts slightly browner; tail darker; rostrum and 

 braincase not quite so flat; 3d unicuspid larger (instead of smaller) than 

 4th; unicuspid series heavier and more crowded, the 1st and 2d decid- 

 edly broader. 



Measurements. — Type specimen $ : total length 103; tail vertebrae 41; 

 hind foot 12. 



16— BioL. Soc. Wash. Vol. XV, 1902. (75) 



