CROCIDURA g9 



Colour.-Uppev parts varying from a slaty drab to dull 

 usse , the hairs with a slight znetallic gloss and with silve.y 

 reflections which in certain lights produc'e an evident effect of 

 fane speck ing Underparts and inner surface of limbs buf^ 

 white, dulled to a varying degree by the slaty under colour th^ 

 chin and throat often suffused with cream-buff S'e of 

 demarcation sharply defined, extending just below ear and eye 

 and alongside of muzzle to middle of pad' The two extremes of 

 colour probably represent ill-defined dichromatic phases Tlost 



?U duirXSh 'ofr^'' "", '? ^^^"^ degree ^termediate 

 ^eet dull whitish often irregularly clouded with drab Tail 

 sharply bicolor, whitish below, concolor with back above tbe 

 longer hairs silvery grey. ^^^ auo>e, uie 



Skull -The skull is slightly larger than that of Sorex araneus 

 and noticeably more heavily built, particularly that portion 



feCd To ^it ;r""'' i^ ^' ;^'^^^^ '^ both VoadenL Ls 

 S S- ? } i ^T'^'-'^^ ^"*^"^^ ^^P^^« less conspicuously 



fiom behind forward, whether skull is viewed from above or 



legion than in the European species of Sorex and Neomvs its 

 main sutures closing early in life. Brain-case ^ ' 



slightly longer than broad, its posterior out- ^ --__ 



Ime rounded but broken by the slightly (L^=:^^X 

 projecting points of the condyles, its antero- ^^^T""^'''^'^ 

 external border straight, sharply angled in 

 front ; sagittal crest low but evident in adult 

 skulls, meeting the complete lambdoid crests 

 posteriorly. Depth of brain-case at middle 

 slightly but constantly less than half greatest 

 breadth (see tig. 20, page 1 00). Dorsal profile 

 with a slight concavity at front of brain-case 

 and slight convexity over middle of rostrum 

 -Nares squarely truncate posteriorly, the ^"'- "• 



lateral wall abruptly angled near middle. "^""Nri^r""'- 

 Anteorbital foramen relatively smaller than in 

 Sorex aranens, and region between it and edge of alveolus dis- 

 tinctly wider. Lachrymal foramen over meta^tyle of J PlaJe 

 forming outer wall of anteorbital canal nearly thi-ee times as wMe 



ZoU^T ^'""''T- ^"^"^'•^^" '^'^^-^^'^ ^^gi"" over posterior 

 molars broader and more prominent than in th'e European si.ecies 

 of t^orex, but rudimentary zygomatic process of maxillary reduced 



floor ofT" """;• /^^-P*-yg-d fo-a as in SoreLranT; 

 floor of bra n-case between tympanic bones narrower and with 

 distinct median ridge. 



snecieT'if"^!?'"^'^'^'! noticeably heavier than in the European 

 species of .STor^'.r and Neamy,, the difierence in general asnect 



.TttT' A^''" ^^'^^"^^^' brown colouring matter'n jli 

 ot cusps. Anterior upper incisor with main cusp lon< and 

 slender, abruptly hooked downward; basal lobe low and 



