MAMMALS TALPIDAE COXDYLUBA CRISTATA. 73 



The edges of the antitragus and antihelix (otherwise naked) are beset by long hairs like those 

 on the rest of the body. 



The general character of the ear is as in the short-tailed American shrews, (Blarina), with 

 less development of auricle, however ; the antitragus and antihelix serve as valves to close 

 the opening into the internal ear. 



The hands are broad, but not so large as in Scalops, and present a striking resemblance to 

 those of terrapins. There are a few hairs on the back of the hand, near the base, and there is 

 a fringe encircling the entire palm ; the rest of the hand, including the whole of the under 

 surface, and most of the upper, is free of hairs, and closely covered with a pavement of brown 

 scales or plates, of nearly uniform size below, but larger near the outer margin above. The 

 whole of the hind foot is similarly constituted as to plates on both surfaces ; there are a few 

 hairs near the outer edge of the anterior surface. There is a large, horny tubercle on the inner 

 edge of the sole, midway between the heel and the tip of the first claw, sometimes developed 

 into a process resembling that on the hind foot of a toad ; there are three other smaller ones 

 in a line at nearly equal distances near the outer edge. 



The hind feet, though narrower than the anterior, are considerably longer. The width of 

 the palm is about half its length, or equal to the distance from wrist to base of fingers. The 

 fingers and their claws in both feet decrease regularly from the fourth to the first ; the outer 

 one but little shorter than the fourth. The hand is only webbed between the basal phalanges 

 of the fingers. The outer edge of the under surface of each of the anterior fingers is extended 

 into three laciniated horny processes. These are not found on the hind feet. 



The tail is long ; without the hairs, about as long as the body, exclusive of the head. It is 

 covered with annulations of rather large, coarse scales, which, however, are much obscured by 

 the long bristly hairs which spring between them. It is much constricted at the base, swells 

 rapidly to the basal fourth, and then tapers gently to the tip. Usually the greatest diameter 

 of the tail is about .20 of an inch ; but during the breeding season, by the deposition of fat 

 under the skin, it swells to an enormous size, so as to exceed half an inch in thickness. Speci 

 mens vary in the length of the tail, which appears longer in the males than the females. 



The fur of this animal is much coarser than in the common mole, and without its lustrous 

 gloss. It consists of two kinds of hair, a basal fur, with longer, coarser hairs, thickly inter 

 spersed. The longest measure about half an inch. 



The color is a uniform dark, sooty brown, or blackish, barely appreciably lighter beneath. 

 The fur is a dark plumbeous from base to near the sooty tips, a little paler beneath. 



The variation in the size and length of the tail has caused the erection of several species of 

 Condylura. All that have come under my notice, however, appear to be the same, although it 

 is quite possible that the species from Oregon, described by Richardson as Condylura macroura 

 of Harlan, may be distinct. 



The skull of Condylura presents several peculiarities of great interest compared with that of 

 its allies. It is much longer and more slender in its proportions. The upper outline of the 

 skull is concave, from the posterior third to the nasals, and then straight to the end of the 

 latter, which terminate behind the canines instead of projecting beyond the incisors. The 

 cranium fe almost as high as broad ; the auditory foramina very large and conspicuous, some 

 what as in the shrews. There is a notch in the posterior edge of the palate, reaching to the 

 penultimate molar, instead of this posterior edge being straight, and at some distance behind 

 the last molar. 



10 L 



