414 ORDERS OF MAMMALIA. 



toes are furnished with claivs ; and the animal ivalks on the 

 soles of the feet, or is plantigrade. They are mostly nocturnal 

 and subterranean, and generally hibernate. They are all of 

 small size, and are found everywhere, except in the continents 

 of South America and Australia, where their place is filled by 

 Marsupials. 



Fig. 687. — Side view of tlie slcuU of tlie Hedgehog (Erinaceus Europoeus). 



Of the numerous existing families of the Insectivora, the 

 only ones which can be said with any certainty to be repre- 

 sented in the fossil state are the Moles (Talpida;), the Hedge- 

 hogs {Erinaceidm), and the Shrew-mice {Sorieidcc) ; and these 

 are at the same time the leadiug families of the order. The 

 two first of these appear to be represented as early as the 

 Eocene Tertiary, and the third appears in the JNIiocene ; but 

 none of the fossil forms are of special importance, nor do 

 they differ conspicuously from existing forms. 



Fam. 1. Talpidm. — The body in this family is covered 

 with liair ; the feet are formed for digging and burrowing, 

 and the toes are furnished with strong curved claws. 



The earliest remains of Moles appear in the Eocene of 

 North America, where we have the extinct genus Talpavns. 

 The Herpetothcriiim of the Miocene of the same region seems 

 to be likewise related to the Moles. In the Miocene of 

 France and Germany occur various mole-like animals, which 

 have been referred to extinct genera {Dimylus, Geotrijpus, &c,) 

 The extinct genus Pakvospalax occurs in the Pliocene of 

 Belgium; and the common Mole {Talpa Buro'pQia) occurs 

 in the Post-Pliocene deposits of Britain and the Continent. 

 Indeed, the genus Talpa is said to occur in France in sedi- 

 ments as old as the Miocene. 



Fam. 2. Soricida\ — The Soi'icida' or Shrew-mice are dis- 



