Descriptions of East Asiatic Mammals 49 
ond section — specialized in at least this one character — occurring 
west of the Bering Strait. 
Of the relatively large number of species present in eastern 
Asia, by far the greatest number is restricted to the temperate 
regions north of the 40th parallel (latitude of Korea, of north- 
ern Japan, and Philadelphia). A partial break in the number 
of species occurs between there and the mountains adjoining the 
Tibetan Plateau (Yunnan, Szechwan, etc.), where again several 
kinds of Sorex dwell. 
Apparently the largest known species, Sorex mirabilis, and 
the smallest, S. ussuriensis, are found in the same province of 
Siberia, Ussuri. The first of these has the length of the head 
and body 3% inches, the tail 2% inches, hind foot % inch; the 
same three measurements in the Least Shrew, S. ussuriensis, 
are but 1 % inches, 1 inch, and about % mcn - S* ussuriensis and 
its relatives vS\ tsherskii of Siberia and hawkeri of Japan are all 
considerably smaller than the smallest American species, Micro- 
sorex hoyi. They are among the smallest mammals in the world. 
The very large number of varieties of Sorex makes their 
intelligible presentation a difficult matter. Certain major divi- 
sions of Shrews living in northeastern Asia may be indicated 
first: 
1. Representative races of the Common Shrew of Europe, 
Sorex araneus, with head and body from 2 to 2% 
inches, tail 1% to 2 inches. 
2. Least Shrews, Sorex ussuriensis and allies : head and 
body iy 2 to 2 inches, tail % to 1% inches. 
3. Pygmy Shrews, Sorex minutus and relatives : head and 
body 1% to 2 inches, tail 1 to 1% inches. 
4. Greater Pygmy Shrews, Sorex macro pygmceus : head and 
body 1% to 2 x /2 inches, tail l 1 /! to 1% inches. 
5. Japanese Shrew, Sorex daphcenodon and related forms: 
head and body 2 to 2% inches, tail 1 to iy 2 inches. 
