INSECTIVOHA. 207 



It has recently been proposed by Mr. Oldfield Thomas to raise 

 the Dermoptera to the rank of an order. 



The fossil Insectivora are not very numerous, and none of any 

 importance have been discovered hitherto in India. 



Measurements of the smaller Insectivora, as of other micro- 

 mammalia, are mostly from specimens preserved in alcohol. 



Suborder INSECTIVORA VERA. 



This suborder contains the following nine families, four of 

 which are found within the limits of the British Indian Empire : 



f Chrysochloridae (Africa). 



A. Upper true molars narrow, withj gentetikte (Madagascar). 



V P ipedcrowns ( not Indian) . /j **%$ [Saa^ 

 (^ Madagascar). 



B. Upper true molars broad, mnlticuspidate, with 



more or less well-defined W-shaped crowns. 



a, Postorbital processes present; a crecum generally 



developed ; symphysis pubis long. 

 a'. Orbital ring encircled by bone ; metatarsus 



moderate: animal squirrel-like, arboreal.. Tupaiidae. 

 b'. Orbital ring not encircled by bone; metatarsus 



greatly elongate : terrestrial Macroscelidae 



b. Skull without postorbital processes ; no caecum ; (Africa). 



symphysis pubis short or wanting. 

 a'. Crowns of first and second upper molars 



with a central fifth cusp ; bullae imperfect Erinaceidae. 

 b'. No central fifth cusp. ! . . : 



a 1 '. Zygomatic arches present ; bullafi ossified. Talpidae. 



b". N*o zygomatic arches ; bulla3 imperfect. . Soricidae. 



Family TUPAIID.E. 



" Arboreal Insectivora, with comparatively large brain-case, 

 orbits encircled with bone, and well-developed zygomatic arches. 

 The malar bone is perforated, the tympanics form bulla? ; the 

 pubic symphysis is long; the tibia and fibula are distinct, the 

 metatarsus but little longer than the tarsus ; the molars are broad, 

 with W-shaped cusps ; and the intestinal canal has generally a 

 short ca?cum;" (Dobson.) 



I The animals forming this family have a great similarity to 

 squirrels, which they resemble in the general form of the body^and 

 limbs, and in having a more or less bushy tail. They differ from 

 all other Insectivora in being not only arboreal but diurnal in 



