6 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 56 



Characters. — Tail without longer hairs, as in maurisca, but much 

 larger size than this species, with proportionately shorter tail. 



Coloration. — Upper parts rich sepia, ears and feet somewhat 

 lighter, tail darker blackish brown. Under parts vandyke brown, 

 the chin and throat becoming suffused with grayish. Fur everywhere 

 plumbeous at base ; short, only 5 mm. on rump. Hair covering the 

 lateral glands short, but not differentiated by color. 



Measurements. — Head and body, 96 mm. ; tail, 67 ; foot, 17. Skull : 

 condylo-incisive length, 24; breadth of brain-case, 10; length of 

 upper tooth-row, 10; condylo-incisive length of mandible, 14.3. 



This species is one of the maurisca group, with a cylindrical, short- 

 haired tail, the longer hairs being present only at the base. 



HELIOSOREX, new genus 



Type : Heliosorex roosevelti Heller 



Characters. — Skull with the brain-case very much narrowed and 

 marked by a prominent transverse constriction at its posterior third, 

 well in advance of the lambdoidal crests ; sides of interorbital region 

 parallel ; brain-case high and inflated, reaching its highest point mid- 

 way between the constriction and its anterior end ; dental formula 

 as in Crocidiira; first unic.uspid about twice the size of second and 

 third, which are of equal size; claws very small — about half the size 

 of those of Crocidura. 



The skull of this shrew differs more widely in shape from Croci- 

 dura than any other allied genus ; in other words, it is the extreme 

 in narrowness and posterior elongation. Some of the species of 

 Crocidura show the constriction, but in all of these it is placed only 

 slightly in advance of the lambdoidal crests, and the brain-case has, 

 moreover, the triangular shape seen in typical Crocidura. The small 

 claws are the only external character. 



HELIOSOREX ROOSEVELTI, new species 



Roosevelt Short-clawed Shrew 

 Plate I.^ Skull. Twice natural size 



Type from Rhino Camp, Lado Enclave ; adult female ; number 

 164643, U. S. Nat. Mus. ; collected by J. Alden L,oring, January 21, 

 1910; original number, 8812. 



I 



'An unfortunate accident occurred to the skull after the two views shown 

 on the plate had been taken. In adjusting the camera to take the side view 

 the lens fell, striking the skull and damaging the occipital region to such an 

 extent that further photographic work on the specimen had to be abandoned. 



1 



