MAMMALS SORICINAE SOREX VAGRANS. 



17 



There are three specimens of this species from Petaluma, California, in the collection of Mr. 

 Samuels, which bear evident marks of immaturity, although they have nearly attained to their 

 full size. The teeth were all covered by a membrane, which, however, on being taken off, 

 exhibited the dentition complete in every particular, (32 teeth,) and all more or less dark colored 

 at the tip. As illustrating more fully the characters of the species from better preserved 

 specimens than those above described, I shall proceed to give a detailed description. 



The form of these specimens is more mouse-like than usual, owing to the large feet and tail, 

 the rather short head and the full body. The naked muffle is unusually broad, and slightly 

 divided medially by a furrow. The muzzle is broader than usual, depressed ; the eye rather 

 large, distinctly visible, and nearer the muzzle than the ear. The ear is concealed by the fur, 

 and is much shorter than usual ; the antitragus large, valvular, and with the valvular helix 

 naked, except on the edges ; the concha is covered with hair on the margins and posteriorly. 



The tail (vertebras) is about as long as the body, exclusive of the head ; it is thick, cylindri 

 cal, but little narrower at the base, and densely covered with hairs, so as nearly to conceal the 

 annuli ; it is terminated by a scant pencil. 



The fur is short, but soft and full ; it measures about 0.18 ot an inch on the back. 



The feet are unusually large and broad for the species of this section, more so, in fact, than 

 in full grown specimens. The two pairs are of about equal width ; well covered above by long 

 silky bristles, which form a distinct fringe on the outer edge of the palms. The soles are 

 tubercular and naked, though the hinder part of the heel is covered with short hairs, except 

 along a narrow line. There are, as usual, six larger tubercles among the smaller ones. 



The color above is a light clove brown, with a very slight -tinge of chestnut or cinnamon. 



The hairs are very lustrous, and there is an intermixture of hoary, caused probably by stronger 

 reflections in particular hairs. The under parts are grayish, lighter than above, the gradation 

 rather insensible. The tail is dusky at the tip, and rather lighter below ; the feet also are 

 rather pale, especially on their inner portions. 



The skull is large and broad, with less attenuation than usual. The dentition embraces 32 

 teeth. The anterior upper incisor is much curved, with a basal hook, which is narrow and acute, 

 nearly as long but narrower than the first and second premolars. The third premolar is only 

 about half the size of the fourth, which is a little less than the first two. The fifth is, as 

 usual, diminutive, but distinctly visible in the diastema between the molars and premolars. 

 The lower anterior incisor is rather deep, and with three prominent lubes on the cutting edge. 

 The first premolar is large, the second twice the size, with two distinct cusps. 



Measurements. 



3 L 



