216 Mr. 0. Thomas on 



Sorex araneus peucintus, subsp. n. 



Nearest to S. a. tetragonurus, but still larger. Colour 

 dark. 



Size very large, the largest o£ the shrews referable to 

 S. araneus. Upper surface slaty blackish, sides indistinctly 

 brownish, tlie tricolor pattern present though not conspicuous. 

 Under surface brownish, much darker than is usual in tetra- 

 gotmnts, tliough nearly equalled by some Italian specimens 

 of that race. Hands and feet pale brown. Tail of average 

 length, decidedly shorter than in S. hatis. 



Skull and teeth essentially as in S. araneus, but exceeding 

 in size those of any other of the European races; the molar 

 teeth are especially larger than is usual in araneus, for while 

 the distance from the front of p'^ to back of m^ (a very exact 

 and definite measurement which can be taken with great 

 accuracy) is 4*3 in all of the largest specimens of aratieus, 

 which measure 20 mm. in condylo-basal length, it is 4*6 in 

 the present animal. 



Dimensions of the type (measured in the flesh) : — 



Head and body 80 mm. ; tail 43 ; hind foot 15 ; ear 7. 



Skull: condylo-basal length 20-5; greatest breadth 10; 

 hei<'-ht of briiiii-case from basion 5'6 ; upper tooth-series 9; 

 front of p^ to back of in'^ 4'G. 



Hab. Swamp region of the Delta of the Danube, Do- 

 brudscha; type from Ciatal. 



Tgpe. Old female. B.M. no. 12. 12. 17. 9. Original 

 number 78. Collected 14th October, 1912, by A. Rettig. 

 Presented by the Hon. N. Charles Rothschild. 



This shrew, from the swamps of the Danube Delta, is 

 distinguishable from S. a. tetragonurus, the form found in 

 the mountain regions of Central and Southern Europe, by its 

 dusky belly and large size. Its hind foot (15 mm.) sur- 

 passe's that of any Sorex mentioned in Miller's Catalogue, 

 where nearly 1000 specimens are recorded as examined. 



Soriculus fumidus , sp. n. 



A dark species with a short tail. 



Size about as in S. sacratus. General colour dark smoky 

 blackish, darker than in typical adult S. sacratus, but similar 

 to some which are probably in a darker or juvenile stage ; 

 probably the insular species is always normally dark. Under 

 surface scarcely lighter than upper. Hands and feet brown,' 

 the dioits lighter. Tail decidedly shorter than head and 

 body, well haired, dark brown, little lighter below. 



