246 SOBICID.E. 



Chimarrogale himalayica, Anderson, J. A. S. B. xlvi, pt. 2, p. 202 ; 

 id. An. Zool. lies. p. 130, pi. v, figs. 17-33 (skeleton) ; id. Cat. 

 p. 208. 

 Ung lagniyu, Lepcha ; Chupitsi, Bhutia. 



Snout densely furred and with numerous vibrissse. Eyes very 

 minute. The small ear-conch is hairy and entirely concealed by 

 the fur. Feet scaly; toes naked; upper surface of metacarpus and 

 metatarsus thinly clad with short flat bristly hairs. Tail thinly 

 clad above, thickly below, with short flat hairs. Fur soft and 

 dense, with a few longer hairs on the back and sides, becoming 

 numerous on the rump. 



Upper anterior incisors each with a lateral expansion on the 

 inner side of the anterior cusp so as to meet, the proximal surface 

 of the cusp being concave ; the notch between the anterior and 

 basal cusp very deep. The three intermediate conical teeth on 

 each side nearly of equal size. Premolar about equal in section 

 to the anterior molar, and having the inner ridge of the crown 

 divided into two cusps. In the lower jaw the anterior incisors 

 are elongate and much turned up at the end, and the crown of the 

 premolar distinctly bifid at the summit. 



Colour dark slaty grey above, with the tips of the hairs rich 

 blackish brown, the terminations of the scattered longer hairs 

 shining white. Lower parts pale brownish grey, basal portion of 

 hair ashy grey below, dark leaden grey above. Hair on the upper 

 surface of the feet brown. Tail dark brown above, white below. 



Dimensions. An adult female measured : snout to vent 4*35 

 inches, tail 3*05, hind foot without claws 0'75, height of ear from 

 orifice 0-27. Jerdon gives larger measurements, head and body 

 5 and 6 inches, and I possess skins that measure this. The skull 

 of a small female measured 0-94 inch in basal length. 



Distribution. South-eastern Himalayas, and the Khakhyen hills 

 north of Burma, at elevations, so far as is known, of from 3000 to 

 5000 feet. Not recorded further west than Sikhim, where it is 

 not rare. 



Habits. The Himalayan water-shrew inhabits the banks of 

 streams, and has been observed by Anderson running over the 

 stones in the stream-bed and plunging freely into the water. It 

 doubtless swims well. It is said to feed on water insects, aquatic 

 larvae, tadpoles, small fish, &c., like Crossopus fpdiens of Europe. 



The other species of this genus, C. platycepJialus, inhabits Japan. 

 A black shrew was noticed swimming in water by Col. McMaster 

 near Nagpur, but no specimen collected (see ' Notes on Jerdon's 

 Mammals,' appendix, p. 215). The animal is probably an unde- 

 scribed form. 



Genus NECTQGALE, A. Milne-Edwards (1870). 

 Aquatic. No external ear-conch ; ears valvular. Feet large, 

 broad, scaly, fringed with coarse white hairs ; toes webbed ; pads 



