SORICID.E. CLXXXVIII. 325 



b. Fore-feet not enlarged; muzzle elongate; external ear developed; appear- 

 ance mouse-like SORICID^E, 188. 



bb. Fore feet very broad, with stout claws adapted for digging; no external 

 ear TALPID.E, 189. 



FAMILY CLXXXVIII. SORICID^E. (THE SHREWS.) 



Small Insectivora, mouse-like in appearance, with the eyes and 

 external ears developed. Muzzle elongate. Feet normal, not 

 fossorial ; the fore-feet mostly smaller than the hind ones. Teeth 

 1 Y^ 3 ; canines obsolete. The most abundant and widely dis- 

 tributed family of the Insectivora, comprising more than half the 

 known species, arranged in 8 genera. The number of species of 

 Blarina and Sorex is still uncertain, and the geographical distribu- 

 tion of the species has been little studied. 



a. Feet very long, with a fringe of hairs; ears valvular (to exclude water) ; 

 concha (external ear) directed backwards; tail long; teeth f =32. 



NEOSOKEX, 556. 

 aa. Feet not fringed. 



b. Ears large, the concha turned backward SOREX, 557. 



bb. Ears small, not visible externally, the concha directed forwards, so as to 

 hide the opening; tail short, not longer than head. . BLARINA, 558. 



556. NEOSOREX Baird. (Wco, to swim ; Sorex.) 



1063. N. palustris (Richardson). WATER SHREW. Hoary 

 black; belly ashy gray; largest of our shrews. L. 6. T. 2. 

 Mass, to Rocky Mts. and N. Aquatic. 



557 SOREX Linnaeus. (Lat., a field-mouse.) 

 a. Teeth colored, 32 = f; feet large. (Sorex.) 

 b. Third upper premolar larger than fourth. 



1064. S. forsteri (Richardson). Ears small ; tail f length of 

 head and body ; snout slender. L. 4. T. If. N. U. S., S. to 

 Penn. (To John Reinhold Forster.) 



1065. S. richardsoni Bachman. Ears rather small; tail scant- 

 haired. L. 4. T. \\. Wis. and N. (To Sir John Richardson.) 



1066. B. platyrhinus (DeKay). COMMON SHREW. SHREW 

 MOUSE. Ears very large for a Shrew ; tail short, scant-haired ; 

 color chestnut-brown. L. 3f. T. l. N. U. S., rather common. 

 (vrXarvy, broad ; piv, snout.) 



bb. Third upper premolar equal to fourth and smaller than first and second. 



1067. S. cooperi Bachman. Ears large; chestnut brown. L. 3f. 

 T. 1. Mass, to Neb. and 1ST. (To Dr. J. G. Cooper.) 



1068. S. personatus Geoffroy St. Hilaire. Ears large ; chestnut 

 brown. L. 2|. T. 1. Smallest of our Shrews ; Penn. and S. 

 (Lat., masked.) 



aa. Teeth 30 = Jf ; feet small. (Microsorex Baird.) 



