76 BANGS — TWO INSULAR BLARINAS ees 
Vol. III 
chusetts, and Connecticut, either by the skulls or by the skins, 
without referring to the labels or to the ‘make’ of the skins. 
On the coast of Massachusetts B. brevicauda talpoides has 
developed at least two well-characterized insular forms — perhaps 
more will be found when other islands have been explored. 
rst. On Martha’s Vineyard Island there is a small form with 
dark brownish back and very pale— almost whitish — under 
parts; and with a short skull, the rostral portion of which is 
much broader and stronger, and the nasal aperture larger, than 
in B. brevicauda talpoides. 
2d. On Nantucket Island is a form closely related to the last 
in size, proportions and skull, but very different in color, being 
darker below and more plumbeous above, — in these respects 
more nearly like the continental Blaria brevicauda talpoides. 
When trapping these two island forms I noticed a striking 
peculiarity, possessed by both, in which they differ from JS. 
brevicauda talpoides. This is, that they have to a very much less 
degree the strong smell so characteristic of the common short- 
tailed shrew. I believe that dissection would show their scent 
glands to be much less well developed. 
These two insular forms, which, perhaps, it is best to regard as 
subspecies, may be formally characterized as follows: 
Blarina brevicauda aloga! subsp. nov. 
MARTHA’S VINEYARD BLARINA. 
Type, from West Tisbury, Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, old adult g, 
no. 9727, Bangs coll., coll. Museum of Comparative ZoGlogy, collected June 25, 
1899, by Outram Bangs. 
Characters.— Smaller than &. brevicauda talpotdes; colors browner above 
a decided line of demarcation along sides, between the 
and grayer below 
two colors; skull very different—much shorter but quite as wide; rostral 
portion particularly short, very massive and much wider; the nasal aperture 
larger; teeth much the same, but tooth row shorter. 
Color.— Upper parts dark brownish drab, through which the gray of the 
1 4 logus — irregular, that does not correspond, 
