CATALOGUE 



OP THE 



LAND-MAMMALS OF WESTERN 

 EUROPE. 



Order INSECTIVORA. 



1827. Insectivora Gray, Griffith's Cuvier, Aoim. Kingd., v, -p. 100. 



Gcoijraphical distribution. — Africa (iucluding Madagascar), 

 Europe, Asia (including the Malay Archipelago), North America, 

 ^^ Greater Antilles, and extreme north-western portion of South 

 America. 



Characters. — Terrestrial, non volant, placental mammals with 

 low development of brain, the cerebral hemispheres without 

 convolutions ; teeth of a primitive or modified tuberculo-sectorial 

 type, the postei'ior upper premolar and anterior lower molar 

 never specially modified as carnassials. 



Bemarhs. — The mammals of this order present such diversity 

 of form and structure that it is difficult to frame any definition 

 by which all members of the group may be invariably recognized 

 by skeletal or external characters. Ten families of Insectivora 

 are currently recognized, three of them occurring in Europe. 



KEY TO THE EUROPEAN FAMILIES OP INSECTIVORA. 



Dentition of a semi-crushing type : first and second 

 upper molars with four subequal cusps, their styles 

 and commissures rudimentary ; sutures in skull 

 persistent ; a large external pterygoid plate ; zygo- 

 matic arch complete, heavy. (In European species 



back covered with spines.) (Hedgehogs) Erinaceidie, p. 114. 



Dentition of a strictly sectorial type : first and second 

 upper molars with three or four cusps strongly 

 contrasted in size, their styles and commissures 

 highly developed and forming an important func- 

 tional part of tooth ; sutures in skull mostly dis- 

 appearing early in life ; no external pterygoid 

 plate ; zygomatic arch slender or incomplete. (Back 

 covered with soft, dense fur.) 

 Anterior lower incisor greatly elongated in axis of jaw; 



mandibular articulation double ; zygoma absent ; 



floor of brain-case with largo lateral vacuities ; 



no auditory bulla; general form mouse-like, the 



neck evident ; external ear present (Shrews) Soricidie, p. 28. 



B 



