48 BULLETIN NO. VII. 



in keeping alongside, and soon had him by the ear. The mouse 

 rolled and kicked and scratched and bit, but to no avail. The 

 shrew was evidently much pleased, and forthwith began to 

 devour the ear. When he had it about half eaten off the mouse 

 again tore himself free ; but his inveterate little foe did not 

 suffer him to escape. This time the shrew clambered up over 

 his back, and was soon at work consuming the remainder of 

 the ear. This being satisfactorily accomplished, he continued 

 to push on in the same direction, till he had cut through the 

 skull, and eaten the brains, together with the whole side of the 

 head and part of the shoulder. This completed his first meal. 

 As soon as he had finished eating I placed him upon the scales, 

 and found that he weighed exactly 12 grammes an increase of 

 .80 gramme." 



Sorex cooperi BACHMAN. 



COOPER'S SHREW. 



Sorex cooperi BACHMAN. Journ. Acad. Sci., Phila. VII. 



REICHENB. Naturg. Raubth. 



DEKAY. Zool.ofN. Y. 



AUD. and BACH. Quad. N. A. 



WAGNER. Schreber Saugeth. B. V. Suppl. 



BAIRD. Mam. N. A. 



FITZINGER. Kritische Untersuch. 



ALLEN. Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., No. 8. 

 Croddura cooperi REICHENB. ISTaturg. Raubth. 

 Amphisorex lesueri DUVERNOY. Mag. de Zool., 1842. 

 Sorex lesueri WAGNER. Suppl. Schreber. Saugeth. Y. 



Although the synonyms quoted above, refer to the western 

 form, which constitutes the species in its strictest sense, as 

 understood by Prof. Baird, the author is greatly inclined to 

 believe that at least S. haydeni, and probably several other 

 species given in the mammals of North America, are really 

 varieties of the present species. Not having material for com- 

 parison of this with the other species of the genus, we must 

 content ourselves with a brief description of the only Sorex yet 

 encountered in Minnesota. The specimens examined in Minne- 

 sota were remarkably uniform in size. Average measurements 

 are as follows : Length, 3.50 ; tail, 1.72 ; head and body, 1.78 ; 

 hind foot, about 0. 50. 



Sorex platyrhinus, the common eastern species, has not been 

 detected in Minnesota. 



