belonging to the Genus Crocidura. 125 



mouse-grey" sprinkled with " light cinnamon-drab," the 

 tint considerably more cinnamon than in smithi, but equally 

 pale. Colour on flanks passing fairly abruptly into the 

 white of the ventral surface ; hairs of belly with slate-grey 

 bases and white or yellowish-white tips. Lateral gland 

 small, marked by a patch of short white hairs. Backs of 

 hands and feet white. Tail not very long, stoutly built, 

 covered above and below with short white hairs ; bristle- 

 hairs fairly numerous, but not very conspicuous, evenly 

 distributed over basal two-thirds. The skins in the Collec- 

 tion show a certain amount of colour-variation, some speci- 

 mens being rather more strongly tinged with cinnamon, but 

 never as brown as in butleri. 



Skull about equal in length to that of hinclei, with a rather 

 larger brain-case. Interorbital region as in kindei, not so 

 parallel-sided as in butleri or smithi. Teeth normal, the 

 small upper unicuspids about equal in size ; anterior cusp 

 of large upper premolar not extending past the posterior 

 border of third unicuspid. Last upper molar smaller than 

 in butleri. 



Dimensions of the type and six adult specimens (mea- 

 sured in the flesh) : — 



Head and body. Tail. Hind foot. Ear. 



mm. mm. mm. mm. 



S (type). Molopo 92 46 14 12 



2. „ .... 93 54 14 12 



rf. Okwa 91-5 53 15 11 



r?. „ 95 53 15 12 



2 • „ 86 50 14 ll-o 



?. „ 92 43 14 11-5 



$ . „ 93 52 14 11 



Skull of type: condylo-incisive length 24/9 mm. ; greatest 

 breadth 10*3 ; least interorbital breadth 4*6 ; length of 

 palate 10*2; postpalatal length 11; greatest maxillary 

 breadth 7*8; median depth of brain-case 5'8; length of 

 upper tooth-row 10*4. 



Hab. Molopo River, west of Morokwen, Bechuanaland. 



Type. Adult male. B.M. no. 4. 10. 1. 62. 



The exceptionally pale colouring immediately distin- 

 guishes this Bechuanaland shrew from the allied species. 

 The Somali smithi, though equally pale, is more slaty in 

 colour and possesses a smaller and flatter skull, with nar- 

 rower, more parallel-sided interorbital region, and with the 

 second and third upper unicuspids crushed closely together, 

 the anterior cusp of the large premolar partially concealing 

 the third externally. 



