Mammalia. 63 



Sorex Indicus, Geoff. (Indian Shrew.) Fur very short grcy- 

 Lrown, above tinted with reddish, in consequence of the tip of 

 each hair being of that colour Tail round and reddish brown. 

 Len-^th of body five inches and two lines, of tail one inch and 

 six lines. Gpojfroy. 



Inhabits 3Iauritius anJ India. 



Ann. da Mas. lo'.i 1 ct 17, p. 183. Geoff. Mem. du Mus. 

 d' His toil e Nalurelle. Iluilieme annee. — Deuxieme cahier, p. 133. 



Obn. It has not yet been satisfactorily ascertained whetlier S. Indicus 

 and S. Copensis be identical or not. I have only had an opportunity of 

 examining one specimen of the former, which -was sent me from Mauri- 

 tius, and it appears not to be full grown. The tail was much longer iu 

 proportion to the body in it than in the Cape Shrew. 



Sorex varius. Smuts. (Variegated Shrew.) Fur soft and 

 rather longer than that of the last ; the surface colour of the 

 upper parts of the head, of the back, and of the sides, is varie- 

 gated or grizzled pale yellowish brown, obscure grey-white 

 and bluish black ; beneath it is reddish white: the bases of all 

 the hairs, both above and beneath, dark slate-coloured. Muz- 

 zle moderate ; ears scarcely projecting beyond the fur ; both 

 their anterior and ])osterior surfaces with a thin covering of 

 yellowish brown hair ; whiskers long ; tail cylindrical, and 

 covered with short reddish white hairs, of equal lengths ; nails 

 long, and nearly colourless. Lcng-th from nose to base of tail 

 four inches, the tail an inch and a half. — Dissert. Zool.f. 108. 



Inhabits South Africa : — Wynberg, Swellendam, &c. 



Sorex giganleus, Geoffroy. Above ash coloured with a tint 

 of reddish, beneath a pure ash colour; ears large, not concealed 

 iu the fur ; tail rounded. Length from nose to base of tail 

 about five inches and a half, tail three inches. 



Inhabits India. 



Mummies, supposed of this species, were discovered in tombs in Egypt, 

 by Olivier and Passalacqua. 



Sorex religiosus, (Sacred Shrew.) Colour greyish like that 

 of the common mouse ; ears very large ; tail four-sided, angles 

 prominent ; thumb very short. Length from nose to base of tail 

 about two inches and a half; tail about the length of the body. 



Found in the catacombs of Thebes. Passalacqua. 



Obs. As far as we know, the Sorex gigaiiteus does not inhabit any part 

 of Africa, and the Sorex religiosus has not yet been identified with any 

 existing species. Another embalmed shrew, from the same locality, has 

 been examined by M. GeoflVoy, and has been considered by him as con- 

 stituting a third species. In its ligiire and proportions it resembles very 

 much the Sorex arujieus ov common shrew of Europe ; and he remarks 

 that he has in vain sought for a character to distinguish them precisely 

 from each other. He is, however, not inclined to consider them as 

 identical.* 



• Memoires du Mus, d'Histoire Naturelle, Huit, annee Deux, cahier. 



