TWO SHHKWS NKW TO NEW HHUXSWICK. 53 



ARTICLE V. 



;notes ox the occurrence of two shrew.s 

 xeav to new brunswick. 



BY PHILIP COX A B . IB. Sc, Ph. D. 



Read May 5th, 1896. 



Ill Bulletin i^'o. X., 1892, reprinted from ^o. Ill, 

 ] 884, Mr. Montagne Chamberlain records two shrews from 

 the province, — the Common Shrew, Sorex platyrhinus, and 

 the Western Shrew, S. coopcti. Though what are now 

 regarded as two distinct forms were designated- platyr- 

 hinus, the iirst by Prof. Baird (Mammals of :N'. A. 1857), 

 the Otisorex •platyrhivas of De Kay (New York Mam- 

 malia, 1842) ; and the second by Dr. Dobson (Monog. 

 Insectivora, 181)0), it would seem that the animal referred 

 to in the list is that of Baird's description, as the other, 

 now designated S. fumeus Miller (North American Fauna, 

 1895) is exceedingly rare, and had not been recognized as 

 a distinct species when Dr. Jordan published his Manual 

 of Vertebrates, whose chissitication and nomenclature Mr. 

 Chamberlain says he adopted. Moreover, the latter 

 describes the animal as " common," a term best applicable 

 to Baird's platyrhinns which is the most abundant in the 

 province. It is, too, exceedingly variable, and well de- 

 serves the name '•• personafus'' bestowed on it by Geoifroy 

 Saint Hilaire early in the centnry, which on grounds of 

 priority is its specific designation at present. 



In a recent monograph on the shrews of North 

 America, Dr. C. Hart Merriam maintains the specific 



