38 U. 8. P. R. R. JCXP. AND SURVEYS - ZOOLOGY - GENERAL REPORT. 



this member appears entirely wanting. On lifting it, however, the antitragus and antihelix are 

 found to be well developed; the upper portion of the latter even higher than the helix. The 

 auricle, as stated, is directed entirely forward, and fits neatly and exactly against the entire 

 opening of the ear. It is altogether naked on its concavity ; posteriorly, and on the edge, 

 densely furred. There is also a ciliation of hairs on the edges of the antitragus and antihelix. 

 The entire external ear has the membranes unusually thick. 



The feet are broad, the anterior especially, which are as wide or even wider than the posterior. 

 The fore claws are twice as long as the hinder. The hand itself is as long as the foot, from 

 heel to end of metatarsus. The hind foot is about half as long as the head. Both fore and 

 hind feet are thinly furnished with hairs on their upper surface, which do not conceal the 

 prominent scutella?. The palm is naked, with six large tubercles ; the sole is also naked, with 

 six tubercles, although the hairs overgrow the heel somewhat from the sides, leaving a narrow, 

 naked, central line. 



The tail is very short, thick, slightly constricted at the base, and of nearly uniform size to 

 the extreme tip ; it is quite thickly clothed with hairs, so as almost to conceal the annuli, and 

 terminates in a decided pencil. With the hairs, it is about as long as the head, and a little 

 more than twice the length of the hind foot. 



The longest hairs on the back measure about 0.30 of an inch. These vary, however, with 

 the season. 



Head, 1.05 inches; head and body, 3.20; tail, vertebras, 0.90; tail, hairs, 1.00; fore foot, 

 0.38 ; hind foot, 0.55. 



The preceding description is taken from a specimen in alcohol, from Massachusetts, as illus 

 trating the external conditions of the animal, and corresponding well with the S. dekayi of 

 authors. In order, however, to exhibit more fully the probable identity of this species with the 

 S. talpoides of Gapper, I subjoin the description of a skin from near Montreal, a locality not 

 essentially remote from that of Gapper's specimen. 



Body cylindrical, covered with rather short, close hair. Snout elongated, flattened above, 

 much tapering ; truncated at tip, which alone is naked and bilobed. Nostrils lateral, somewhat 

 elongated longitudinally in the dried specimen, but nearly circular when fresh or even sub-ver 

 tical. Eyes very minute, appearing as a mere speck. Ear with the aperture large, but com 

 pletely hidden in the dried skin, the animal appearing entirely destitute. The external ear is 

 a mere flap, bilobed and situated entirely infero-posteriorly. The feet are rather small ; the 

 anterior nearly as long and rather broader than the posterior, with decidedly longer claws. All 

 are sparingly coated with hairs on the upper surface, so as not to conceal the scaly character 

 there visible. The palms are naked, with transverse wrinkles under the fingers, and several 

 tubercles ; the soles are similar, though scantily coated with hairs towards the heel. The third 

 finger is longest ; the fourth scarcely shorter ; next the second ; the cleft between the second 

 and third deepest. The claw of the fifth reaches to the end of the finger of the fourth ; that of 

 the first about to the end of the finger of the fifth. In the hind foot the central three toes are 

 nearly equal. The first and fifth spring out some distance behind the others ; the former 

 shortest, the latter not reaching to the base of the fourth claw. The tail is short, cylindrical 

 in the fresh specimen, covered with short annuli,, having hairs springing between so as to nearly 

 conceal them, and a distinct brush of hairs at the end. 



The color uf the species varies somewhat with the specimen. In the largest skin from Mon 

 treal, it is everywhere of a smoky brownish gray, slightly paler beneath. Feet whitish ; claws 



