CROCIDURA 



87 



above, t'ur, the meatus closed by two valves as in Neomys ; tail 

 somewhat thickened, its surface covered with short hairs, among 

 M^iich are sprinkled numerous longer ones ; habits terrestrial. 



Beiiutrkn. — Though not highly modified in external pecu- 

 liarities the genus Crocidura is the least primitive group of 

 shrews occurring in Europe. This is indicated by the reduced 

 number of upper unicuspids, but is more clearly shown by the 

 highly modified form of the third lower molar and the completely 

 unicuspid character of the lower premolar. Among the European 

 members of the family Soricidse the species of Crocidura may 

 at once be recognized by their moderate size, entirely white teeth, 

 large ears, and by the presence of long, loosely spreading hairs 

 scattered over the surface of the tail. Badly prepared specimens, 

 in which the true characters are obscured, may often be detected 

 among skins of Sorcx by the noticeable silvery reflections on 

 hairs of back. Eight species are now known to occur in western 

 Europe, while the number of forms thus far described from other 

 portions of the range of the genus is not far from one hundred. 



KEY TO THE EUROPEAN FORMS OF CROCIDURA. 



Tail decidedly more than half as long as head and 

 body, the ratio normally varying from 70 to 80. 



Hind foot about 14 mm. (Sicilv) C. caudata, p. 110. 



Hind foot 11 to 12-5 mm. 



Upper tooth-row about 8'6 mm. (Corsica) C. ci/rnensis, p. 111. 



Upper tooth-row about 8 mm. (Balearic Islands)... C. balearica, p. 112. 

 Tail about half as long as head and body, the ratio 

 normally varying from 40 to 60. 

 Condylobasal length of skull 16 to 17 '6 mm. 



Second upper unicuspid with crown area about 



equal to that of third (Crete) C. canem, p. 109. 



Second u^sper unicuspid with crown area distinctly 



less than that of third C. mimiila, p. 94. 



Colour tending to be pale and greyish (Basque 



Provinces, Spain) C. m. cantabra, p. 99. 



Colour tending to be dark and brownish. 



Brain-case not decidedly flattened (Charente, 



France) C. »«. kiUisma, p. 98, 



Brain-case decidedly flattened (entire range 



of species, western portion excepted)... C. 711. mimula, p. 95. 

 Condylobasal length of skull 17-6 to '20 '4 mm. 

 (usuallv more than 18 mm.). 

 Brain-case about half as high as wide or less. 

 Animal conspicuously bicolor ; condylobasal 

 length of skull usually more than 19 mm. 



(Central Europe, south into Italy) C. h'ucodon, p. 88. 



Animal obscurely bicolor ; condylobasal length 



of skull usually 18 to 19 mm. (Sicily) C. sicula, p. 108. 



Brain-case more than half ashigb as wide C. ritsstila, p. 99. 



Condylobasal length of skull usually 19 to 

 20-4 ram. (Central Europe, south into 



Italy) C. r. russiila, p. 101. 



Condylobasal length of skull usually 18 to 19 mm. 



Colour a dark, coppery-brown (Portugal) C. r. eintrte, p. 108. 



Colour a pale drab-ljrown (Spain and south- 

 western France) C. r. jmichra, p. 103. 



