SOREX.] MAMMALIA FER^E. 17 



GEN. 9. TALPA, Linn. 



18. T. Europcea, Linn. (Mole.) 



T. Europsea, Desm. Mammal, p. 160. Flem. Brit. An. p. 9. Mole, 

 Penn. Brit. Zool. vol. i. p. 128. Shaw, Gen. Zool. vol. i. p. 515. 

 pi. 117. 



DIMENS. Length of the head and body five inches three lines ; of the 

 head one inch seven lines ; of the tail one inch two lines. 



DESCRIPT. Body thick, ohlong, almost cylindrical : snout sharp and 

 slender : eyes extremely small ; entirely concealed in the fur : no external 

 ears : feet extremely short ; the anterior pair larger, very robust, and 

 inclining sideways: claws strong, a*s long as the toes themselves. Fur 

 very soft and silky, shining, black or deep ash-colour, according to 

 the direction in which it is viewed, sometimes white, or yellowish 

 white. 



Common in England and Scotland, but said to be unknown in Ireland. 

 Habits subterraneous: constructs galleries beneath the surface of the 

 soil, which it throws up at intervals in hillocks. Feeds on w'orms and 

 insects, but principally on the former. Breeds twice in the year, pro- 

 ducing from four to six at each birth. 



GEN. 10. SOREX, Linn. 



19- S. AraneuS) Linn. (Common Shrew.) Reddish 

 brown above ; paler beneath : tail shorter than the body, 

 somewhat square, not ciliated on its under surface. 



S. Araneus, Desm. Mammal, p. 149. Flem. Brit. An. p. 8. Fetid 

 Shrew, Penn. Brit. Zool. vol. i. p. 125. Common Shrew, Shaw, 

 Gen. Zool vol. i. p. 527. pi. 118. 



DIMENS. Length of the head and body two inches five lines ; of the 

 head one inch; of the ears two lines; of the tail one inch nine lines. 



DESCRIPT. Somewhat variable in size and colours. Upper parts ge- 

 nerally dusky brown, more or less deep, with a tinge of red ; under parts 

 grayish white with a tinge of yellow : in some specimens a triangular 

 whitish patch upon the throat: ears small, hardly showing themselves 

 above the fur, furnished internally with two lobes or duplicatures of the 

 skin placed one above the other and fringed with hair: incisors deep 

 ferruginous brown*: tail varying in length, always shorter than the 

 body, roundish approaching to square, rather stout, of equal thickness 

 throughout and blunt at its extremity, uniformly clothed with short 

 dusky hairs, but having no fringe along its under surface : feet much 

 smaller than in the other species of this genus, the toes scarcely ciliated. 



A very common species inhabiting gardens and hedge rows. Feeds 

 on insects, and also on vegetable substances. Possesses a strong musky 

 odour. 



* In the Ann. du Mus. (torn. xvn. p. 176.) M. Geoffroy St Hilaire describes this species as 

 having the incisors entirely white. This circumstance, together with one or two others, induce* 

 me to suspect that the S. Araneus of the continental authors may be distinct from ours. It \s. S e< 



B Jstll _pri M;<.* * n 



