32 On the White-toollied S/irew of Palesline. 



TIL — The Whit ^.-toothed Shrew of Palestine. 

 13y Oldfield Thomas. 



(Published by permission of the Trustees of the British Museum.) 



Capt. Gr. C. Shortkidge hiis contributed to the British 

 Museum a couple ot specimens ot a white-tootiied shrew 

 obtained by him during the Palestine campaign. 



It appears to represent a new subspecies of Crocidura 

 russula^ and may be called 



Crocidura russula judaica, subsp. n. 



Like tlie large Central European G. russula russula, but 

 colour paler and greyer. 



Fur of back about •i'2 mm. in length; very few longer 

 piles present. 



General colour of upper surface rather darker than '^ light 

 drab," much brighter, greyer, and less brown than true 

 russula, owing to the reduction of the dark brown tips to the 

 hairs and the greater degree to which the grey of the uuderfur 

 shows through. Under surface distinctly lighter, the ends of 

 the hairs whitish, with but little drabby suffusion. Tail 

 rather short. 



Skull as in C r. 7'ussida. Third upper unicuspid rather 

 broader tiian second. 



Dimensions of the type (taken from skin) : — 



Tail 37 mm. ; hind foot 13. 



Of a specimen measured in the flesh : — 



Head and body 58 mm. ; tail 38 ; liind foot 13 ; 

 ear 9*5. 



Skull (of type) : condylo-incisive length 21*2 ; greatest 

 breadth 9'5 ; height of crown from basion 4'7; up[)er tooth- 

 row 9-7. 



Ilab. Palestine. Tjqje from near Jerusalem. 



%^e. Adult male. P.M. no. 18. 8. 1. 3. Collected April 

 3 918, and presented by Capt. G. C. Shortridge. Two 

 specimens. 



While the other forms of the russula group described from 

 S.W. Asia are darker than the typical European animal, the 

 ])resent one is readily distinguishable from ail by being 

 markedly lighter. • 



