MOLES. 295 



vania range. Several of the shrews are inhabitants of the 

 mountain. 



Genus BLARINA. Species Talpoides, (Sorex Talpoides, 

 Gupper.) According to Baird, "this is the most abundant 

 of North American shrews. For the present," he says, "I 

 shall refer all the large shrews, with short tails, from the 

 Atlantic States, to the Talpoides." He considers this shrew 

 as identical perhaps with several species of Sorex referred 

 to by authors, as De Kayi, brevicandus, Carolinensis, brachy 

 sorex, etc. He gives it a range from Halifax, Nova Scotia, 

 and Montreal to Columbus, Ohio, and west, also south to 

 Georgia, and from "latitude 45'30 to 32-30; longitude 

 63-30 to 81-30." He also quotes the Blarina Cinerea, or 

 ash-colored mole, as ranging geographically from South 

 Pennsylvania to Florida. 



MOLES. 



Genus SCALOPS, (Cuvier.) Species Aquaticus. The 

 common shrew mole has a wide range, said to be found 

 from 50 north latitude to Carolina, and from the shores of 

 the Atlantic to the Pacific. It is not abundant on the 

 mountain, which may be accounted for by the roughness 

 of the soil, stony and rugged surfaces not being favorable to 

 its habits of life. It prefers to inhabit moist, loose earth 

 occupied by multitudes of insects, worms, etc. It is a great 

 annoyance to the gardener, turning up and tunneling his 

 walks, and also (as is said) devouring the planted seeds. (?) 

 Godman has made his biography an interesting chapter, 

 in the Rambles of a Naturalist. 



SCALOPS Breweri. The hairy-tailed mole has a range 

 from " Connecticut and New York to Cleveland, Ohio." 

 Mr. John Cassin, the distinguished ornithologist, (who is 

 also an accomplished naturalist in other departments of 

 science,) observed this mole near the Chestnut Ridge, one 

 of the western parallel ranges of the Alleghanies in West- 

 moreland County. It is found in the table-land flats along 

 streams, but not high upon the mountain. 



