30 



INSECTIVOEA 



Characters. — Ujjper unicuspid teeth 5-5 (dental formula : 

 i ?=?, cti ^Jm'^, iii'^ = 32) ; posterior lobe of anterior upper 

 incisor fully half as high as main cusp ; anterior lower incisor 

 with three well developed lobes on cutting edge ; third lower 

 molar with hypoconid and entoconid small but distinct, so that 

 the form of the tooth differs from that of first and second molars 

 in the reduced size of the second triangle only, its crown, like the 

 others, 5-cusped ; second lower unicuspid with rudimentary 

 second cusp and commissure ; points of all the teeth pigmented 

 (the coloured portion wearing away in extreme old age) ; skull 

 lightly built, with slender weak rostrum and abruptly wider 

 brain-case ; rudimentary zygomatic process of maxillary evident ; 

 no special modifications in external form ; tail covered with 

 hairs of uniform length (except that those of pencil are elon- 

 gated) ; ear nearly concealed by the fur, the meatus closed by 

 a large valvular outgrowth from the antitragus supplemented 

 by a fold on inner surface of conch ; habits terrestrial. 



Bemarhs. — This is the most widely distributed genus of 

 Insectivora. It contains about sixty described forms, fourteen 

 of svhich occur in Europe. 



KEY TO THE EUROPEAN FORMS OP SOBEX. 



Anterior mandibular incisor with low, sometimes ill- 

 defined lobes on cutting edge ; first lower uni- 

 cuspid two-pointed; lachrymal foramen over 

 point of contact between m' and m- ; tail about 

 as long as head and body ; colour uniform darlj 



slaty grey. (Alpine Shrews) .S'. alpinus, p. 60. 



Condylobasal length of sliuU 19-4 to 20-6 mm.; 

 upper tooth-row 8 • 6 to 9 ■ mm. (Alps ; east- 

 ward to Transylvania) S. a. alpinus, p. 62. 



Condylobasal length of skull 19 to 19 -6 mm. ; upper 

 tooth-row 8-2 to 8'6 mm. (Harz Mountains 



and Riesengebirge) S. a. hercynicus, p. 63. 



Anterior mandiljular incisor with high, distinct lobes 

 on cutting edge ; first lower unicuspid single- 

 pointed ; lachrymal foramen in front of point of 

 contact between ?»' and m" ; tail shorter than 

 head and body ; colour never uniform dark slaty 

 grey, the under parts usually much lighter than 

 back. 

 First, second and third upper unicuspids sub-equal; 

 condylobasal length of skull 14 '8 to 16 ■6 mm.; 

 head and body usually about 60 to 60 mm. 



(Pigmy Shrews) S. minutus, p. 53. 



Molars and anterior upper incisor normal (Dis- 

 tribution general) S. m. minutuK, p. 55. 



Molars and anterior upper incisor enlarged 



(Southern Italy) ,S'. m. hicanius, p. 60. 



First and second upper unicuspid much larger than 

 third; condylobasal length of skull 17-4 to 

 20 mm. ; head and body usually about 65 to 

 80 mm. (Common Shrews) S. arancus, p. .31. 



