76 17. 8. P. R. R. EXP. AND SURVEYS ZOOLOGY GENERAL REPORT. 



UROTRICHUS, Temminck. 



Urotriehus, TCMHINCK, Van der Hoeven, Tijdschr. V, 1838 IB. Mag. de Zool. 1842. 



Muzzle prolonged into a cylindrical tube, continued some distance beyond the incisors, terminating in a simple naked bulb. 

 Nostrils cylindrical, opening in the side. Eyes and ears concealed. Tail long and hairy. Fore feet moderately large, shorter 

 than the bind feet. Upper and under surfaces of both covered with small plates. 



In the above diagnosis I have the pleasure of first introducing a genus of insectivorous mam 

 mals into the fauna of North America hitherto only represented by a single species, the U. 

 tatpoides, 1 from Japan. The specimen is, unfortunately, not quite mature, and the skull, with 

 its dentition, is imperfect, so that I am obliged to rely upon Temminck for the dental formula. 



In external form this animal exhibits a close resemblance to Condylura, the only striking 

 difference being in the much elongated and tubular muzzle, without radiations, and the nostrils 

 lateral, not terminal. The feet, hands, and tail, are very similar. 



The dental formula, according to Temminck, is incisors, l ~ ; canines, ^; molars,^ = 36, 

 or, as there are three true molars, the latter quantity would be divided into : premolars ^ 



3-3 



molars 3^3. The analogy of dentition would, however, make the formula more probably : incisors, 



3-3 11 33 i 33 20 o / 



j^; canines, ^ ; premolars, ^ ; molars, ^ = 16 = 36. 



The genus Urotriehus in many respects resembles the shrews, and, in fact, may be considered 

 as forming the connecting link between this family and the moles through Condylura. 



UROTRICHUS GIBBSII, Baird. 



Tail as long as the body (exclusive of the head). Color uniform dark sooty plumbeous. Body about 2| inches long. 



This animal, in many respects, bears a close resemblance to Condylura, as in color, feet, and 

 tail, from which it is readily distinguished by the much elongated muzzle and the absence of 

 any radiated processes. The size is about that of Sorex carolin&nsis. 



The nose is much elongated and projects more beyond the incisors than in Sorex. Indeed, 

 it is, for most of its length, a nearly cylindrical tube, scantily covered with short hairs, and 

 terminated by a naked bulb or glans, with the nostrils pierced in the sides. A distinct con 

 striction separates the bulb all round from the hairy portion of the nose. There is a slight 

 furrow on the under surface of the muzzle. The eye and ear cannot be detected in the skin. 

 They are said to be very minute in the Japan species, as in the moles. 



The hands and feet are constituted much as in Condylura, in having both surfaces tesselated 

 with small isolated plates. These, on the upper surfaces of metacarpus and metatarsus, are 

 thinly covered with long hairs, and in the hind feet, not restricted to the antero-external edge, as 

 in Condylura. I do not find in the dry skin the peculiar scaphoid tubercle on the sole, so con 

 spicuous in Condylura. The hind foot is considerably longer (by two-thirds) than the fore foot, 

 hut narrower. The hind claws are as long as the anterior ones, but more straight, slender, and 

 acute. The fore claws and hands appear less fossorial than in the other moles. The proportions 

 of the digits differ from Condylura. Thus the 4th, 3d, and 2d, are successively a little shorter, 



1 See Temminck in Mag. de Zool. 1842, plate 55, niammiferes. 



