274 Dr. Godman’s Note on the Genus Condylura of Illiger. 
radial edge, it has one scale of considerable size on the pha- 
lanx, and four or five between this part and the carpus; the 
two nearest the scale on the phalanx are largest. 
The surface of the palm of the hand is covered with small 
circular scales, extending most numerously, and of a darker 
colour, from opposite the root of the thumb obliquely outward 
to the hasis of the little finger. 
On the inferior extremities, the whole of the superior sur- 
face of the foot is covered with minute, blackish, circular 
scales, which increase slightly in size as they approach the 
toes. On the anterior part of the fourth toe is a large central 
row of black scales, and on the fifth a rather smaller one; 
hence these toes have a very considerable resemblance to the 
toes of a bird. The other toes of the hind foot being applied 
with their anterior surfaces to the ground, have the scales very 
minute and almost colourless. 
The colour of the scales varies on different parts of the 
hand. On so much of the back of the hand as is formed by 
the fourth and little fingers, the scales are very dark blue, 
approaching a black, in the living animal ; thence to the large 
scales of the thumb the colour changes to a faint purplish 
blue, which is little more than distinguishable. 
Two other excellent characters belonging to the palm of the 
hand have been neglected: the first is the enlargement of the 
carpal edge of the palm by an elongation of the integuments ; 
this, in addition to the row of bristles that margins all the rest 
of the palm, has two distinct bristly hairs at its superior and 
inferior edge, more than }th of an inch long. The second cha- 
racter is still more striking; it is a process of the palmar cu- 
ticle on the superior edge of the thumb and three succeeding 
fingers. ‘These processes are serrated and directed obliquely 
upwards and outwards; the serrations on the thumb being 
two, and on the three succeeding fingers three in number. 
On the soles of the (posterior) feet another character is 
found, which consists of five circular, distinct spots, so ar- 
ranged that the two nearest the body are parallel with each 
other, opposite the commencement of the first toe, counting 
as in the human subject, from the one nearest the median line 
of the body; the superior spot is nearly in a line with the 
fourth toe, and larger and darker coloured than the inferior; 
the two succeeding spots (nearer the extremity of the toes) are 
also parallel with each other; the exterior one is largest of all 
these plantar scales, and placed nearly over the extremity of 
the metatarsal of the fourth toe; the inferior spot is nearly 
over the root of the second toe; the fifth or single scale is 
placed in advance of all the rest, and is situated immediately 
over 
