head, emarginate on the outer posterior 

 edge, tragus sliorter and less pointed than 

 in Say's Bat. Head long and narrow ; 

 canine teeth very promiq'.-nt ; snout, in- 

 terfemoral and wing membranes black 

 and entirely naked ; a few scattering 

 hairs on the feet. Fur on the head and back 

 long and color uniform bright ferrugin- 

 ous ; beneath yellowish brown ; last joint 

 of the tail not enveloped in the membrane. 

 Bones supporting the membrane very ap- 

 parent. Length of the specimen before 

 me, from the snout to the extremity of the 

 tail 4.7 inches, head and body 3 inches, 

 tail 1.7, fore arm LS, tibia .7, spread of the 

 wings 1L5 inches. 



History. — Of the history of this bat I 

 know nothing. It is said to be quite 

 common in the southern states particular- 

 ly in the Carolinas and Georgia and also 

 on Lonjr Island near New York. The only 

 specimen I have seen and that from which 

 the above description was made, was ta- 

 ken in Burlington, and deposited in the 

 museum of tlie college of Natural Histo- 

 ry of the University of Vermont by Mr. 

 John H. Morse, a student of the Univer- 

 sity. A Vermont specimen of this species 

 is also preserved in the museum of Nat. 

 His. of Middlebury college. 



SILVER-HAIRED BAT. 

 Vespertilio noctivagans. — Le Co.vtz. 

 Description. — Ears dusky black, rath- 

 er large, naked on the anterior j)ortion, 

 somewhat ovate and obtuse, with two 

 emarginations, on the outer posterior bor- 

 der, produced by two plaits ; naked with- 

 in, and with the tragus moderate, ovate 

 and obtuse. Color above, a uniform dark 

 dusky brown, approacliing to black. On 

 the back the fur is somewhat glossy and 

 tipped with silvery white, forming an 

 interrupted line across the shoulders, 

 and thence irregularly mixed down the 

 centre of the back. Interfemoral mem- 

 brane thickly hairy on the upper part be- 

 coming thinner downward and naked near 

 the border. Tip of the tail projecting 

 about a line beyond tlie membrane. Feet 

 hairy. Wing membrane entirely naked. 

 Beneatli very similar to the upper parts, 

 though the light colored tips of the hairs 

 are more yellowish. Total length 3.8 in- 

 ches, tail 1 -T, fore-arm 1.8, tibia .8, spread 

 of the wings 11 inches. 



History. — This Bat I have not seen in 

 Vermont, but I am informed by my friend 

 Prof. Adams that there is a specimen of 

 it, which was taken in this state, in the 

 museum of Natural History of Middlebu- 

 ry College. The above is Mr. Cooper's 

 ♦Annals Na Y. Lyceum Nat. His. Vol. IV. p. 9 



description of this Bat*, who says that " it 

 was first described in 1831 by Major Le 

 Conte and Dr. Harlan, and that it may be 

 easily recognized by its dark black-brown 

 fur tipped with white on the back." It 

 was named V. noctivagans by Le Conte 

 and V. Audihoni, by Harlan, and the for- 

 mer of these names is retained, because 

 Le Conte's account was first published. 



Genus Sorex. — Linnants. 

 Generic Characters. — Teeth variable from 26 

 to 34. The two middle upper incisors hooked 

 and denlated at their base ; the lower ones 

 slanting and elonoated ; lateral incisors small, 

 usually five on each side above, and two below; 

 grinders, most commonly 4 on each side abore, 

 and 3 below. The bodv is covered with fine, 

 short fur ; toes, five on each foot, separate, fur- 

 nished with hooked nails not proper for digging : 

 head and nose elongated, the latter moveable ; 

 ears short and rounded ; eyes small but visible. 



FORSTER'S SHREW. 

 Sorex Forsteri. — Richardsoit. 



Description. — Color yellowish brown 

 or dark olive above, bluish white or cin- 

 erous beneath ; base of tiie fur plumbeous 

 for two thirds its length both above and 

 below : teetli white at the base and at 

 their points, deep chestnut brown ; tail 

 long, four sided, covered with short hair 

 and terminated in a fine pencil of hairs; 

 feet small, light flesh-colored and nearly 

 naked; nailsslendcr and white ; whiskers 

 half an inch long, liglit brown. Length 

 of the head and body 2 inches, tail 1.4, 

 head .9, from the eye to the point of the 

 nose .3. 



History. — This little animal is occa- 

 sionally met with in our pastures and 

 fields, having their places of retreat in 

 stone walls and under old fences and logs. 

 The specimen from which the above de- 

 scription was made was taken in Bridge- 

 water and is now in my possession. This 

 shrew was first described by Dr. Richard- 

 son who says that it is common throughout 

 tlie fur countries, even as far north as the 

 67° of latitude and that its delicate foot- 

 steps are often seen imprinted on the 

 snow when the temperature is 40 or 50° 

 below zero.* It is also found according 

 to Dr. Bachman on Long Island in the 

 vicinity of New York.t 



♦Fauna Boreali, vol. I. page 6. 



f Journal Acad. Nat. Sci. of Phil. vol.VIl. p. 386. 



/ 



