MAMMALS SORICINAE SOREX F1MBRIPES. 



55 



The Rio Grande of Texas is probably the northern limit of this species, while its southern is 

 yet unknown. No North American shrew has heretofore been recorded from so southern a 

 locality. 



List of specimens. 



The following species of North American shrews I hare not yet been able to examine : 



1. SOREX PALUSTRIS. 



Sorex palustris, RICH. Zool. Jour. Ill, Jan.-Ap. 1828, 516. 



RICH. F. B. A. I. 1829, 5. 



AUD. A BACH. N. A. Quad. Ill, 1853, 108, pi. cxxv. (Description and figures from Richardson's specimen.) 

 Jlmphisorex palustris, GRAY, Pr. Zool. Soc. Lond. V, 1837, 125. 

 Crossopus palustris, WAGNER, Suppl. Schreber, V, 1855, 542. 



This strongly marked species is an inhabitant of the Hudson's Bay region, and has not yet 

 been detected within the limits of the United States. It is the largest of our true shrews of the 

 restricted genus Sorex, measuring 3 inches to root of tail ; tail, 2 j\. The back is hoary black ; 

 the belly ash gray. 



2. SOREX FIMBRIPES. 



Sorex jimbripes, BACHMAN, J. A. N. Sc. Ph. VII, 1837, 391 ;pl. xxiv, f. 8. 



AUD. & BACH., N. A. Quad. Ill, 1854, 312. (From preceding ) 



A single specimen of this species was taken by Professor Walter R. Johnson, on Drury's Run, 

 Lycoming county, Pennsylvania, and by him presented to the Philadelphia Academy of Natural 

 Sciences, where it was described by Dr. Bachman. It measured 2 inches to the root of the tail ; 

 the tail, If. Above, it is of a brown color ; beneath, buff. The fur is unusually long. The 

 most striking peculiarity, however, is in the very broad forefeet and the fringe of stiff hairs bor 

 dering them. The hands are said to resemble those of a turtle, and in truth, according to the 

 description, they are broader (0.19 of an inch) than in large specimens of Blarina talpoides. In 

 some respects this species would seem to approach Sorex pachyurus, described above, although 

 this has by no means such extreme peculiarities of feet. 



In the long muzzle, broad fore feet, and full fur, there is an approximation to the genus 

 Urotrichus, of much interest. 



