154 Miscellaneous. 



them still as formerly the same service " (Fungi Hypogaei, p. 174). 

 It appears that this fungus has been found commonly growing 

 under the shade of Cistus halimifolius near La Calle and Constantino 

 (N. Algeria) by collectors, and thus some interesting light has been 

 thrown on the truffle-indicator or hydnophyttunb-jA&nt mentioned 

 by Pamphilus in Athenaeus. It is true he calls the plant a grass 

 (7Tf;a), but this is no objection to a Cistus being the plant probably 

 intended ; with ourselves the Parnassia palustris is the Grass of 

 Parnassus. I was unable to get access to Tulasne's work in time 

 for my last paper, or should not have said (p. 45), with unwarrant- 

 able haste, that the story about the hydnophyllum is, of course, a 

 mere fancy. 



Your obedient servant, 



Preston Rectory, W. Houghton. 



Wellington, Salop, 



January 22, 1885. 



On the Classification of the Moles of the Old World. 

 By M. A. Milxe-Edwakds. 



The resemblance of external form is so great in the Insectivorous 

 mammals known under the general name of Moles, that after a 

 superficial examination one often confounds species which are really 

 very different. 



On the contrary, when we take into consideration their osteo- 

 logical characters, and especially their dentition, it becomes easy 

 to recognize among these animals a certain number of very distinct 

 groups. 



Zoologists thus divide the Moles into several genera : — 1. The 

 genus Talpa, Linne, of which the dental formula is as follows : — 



I. {=» C. f=J, PM. J=J, M. J=i =44 teeth. 



3 — 3' 1 — 1' 4 — 4' a — 3' 



This includes only four species : — -The Common Mole (Talpa 

 europcea, Linn.), the area of dispersion of which stretches from 

 Western Europe to Japan; the Blind Mole (Talpa cceca, Savi), 

 which lives in Italy and Southern Europe ; the Long-nosed Mole 

 (Talpa loncjirostris, A.M.-Edw.), from Thibet and China ; and, lastly, 

 the Short-tailed Mole (T. micrura, Hodgs.), from Northern India. 



2. The genus Morgera, Pomcl, is distinguished from the prece- 

 ding by the absence of the last pair of small anterior and inferior 

 teeth representing the canines ; thus the dental formula is — 



I-SC.S,rM.g,M.?=J, = 42teeth. 



A single species, only met with in Japan and the island of For- 

 mosa*, presents these characters; it is Mogera Wogura, Temm. 



3. The genus Parascaptdr, Grill, is characterized by the absence 

 of one of the upper premolars. The dental formula must therefore 

 be written thus : — 



I- S C. g, PM.g, M. g,=42 teeth. 



* The variety of this species which inhabits Formosa is called by 

 Swinhoe Talpa insularis. 



