508 Ml'. G. Dollman on the African Shrews 



As the flesh and skull measurements in this genus are 

 of such great systematic importance, and in view o£ the fact 

 that in certain species a considerable amount of individual 

 or sexual variation exists in these dimensions, it has been 

 thought best to give, wherever possible, the measurements 

 of a series rather than of a single individual. Further, as 

 regards colour (an almost equally important factor), owing 

 to the great amount of seasonal variation, it has been found 

 necessary to deal with the question in considerable detail. 



The cranial dimensions used are those usually employed, 

 with the exception of the depth or height of the brain-case, 

 which is here taken from the basioccipital to the highest 

 point of the lambdoidal crest ; the ordinary measurement, 

 the greatest depth, is very unsatisfactory in this genus, as 

 so many skulls are imperfect in the auditory region. The 

 measurement given for the upper tooth-row is taken from 

 the extreme front of the first incisors to the back of the last 

 molar. 



The arrangement adopted in this paper is necessarily of 

 rather an artificial nature ; the chief object aimed at is to 

 give some general plan that may assist in the identification 

 of the species of this unwieldy genus. 



It has been found necessary to describe thirty-eight new 

 forms, many of which are here ranked as races rather than 

 species ; in this manner it is possible to keep the allied 

 forms together, a point of very considerable importance 

 when dealing with a genus of such dimensions. 



Key to the Species and Subspecies. 



A. Caudal bristle-hairs usually numerous and evenly distributed 

 over proximal two-tbirds of tail. 



a. Size very large : length of slmll more than 33 mm. 



a' . Size larger : length of skull 36 mm. ; hair and tail ex- 

 ceptionally long. (Gold Coast.). (1) gifardi, de Wint. 

 b' . Size smaller : length of skull 34 mm. or less ; hair and 

 tail not exceptionally long, 

 a^. Colour deep chocolate-brown. (Sennaar.) 



(11) hedeiiborgiana, Sund. 

 V. Colour paler. 



rt'. Colour above pale drab. (Lagos.) 



(2) mmmi, Pet. 

 b^. Colom- above rich chestnut-brown (dark " burnt 



umber"). (Kilimanjaro.). (12) ma7-tiensse7ii, Nenm. 

 c^. Colour" above dark greyish brown. (Gaboon.) 



(3) odorata, Leconte. 



b. Size large : skull less than 33 mm. in length (between 26- 



32-5) ; head and body 93-140 ; hind foot 15-22, 

 «'. Second upper unicuspids smaller than third. 



