SORICID& 625 



the chrysalides and larvae of insects that are always to be found in 

 such places." Dr. Merriam has made the interesting discovery 

 that the common short-tailed North American Shrew supplements 

 its insectivorous fare by feeding on beech-nuts, which will account 

 for the generally very worn state of the teeth in this species. 



Crossopus. 1 Dentition : i f, c , p f, m f ; total 30. Opening 

 of male or female generative organs enclosed within the same ring 

 as the anal orifice ; penis broad, with lateral processes. Ears small, 

 not truncated. Tail long, with an inferior fringe of elongated 

 hair ; feet also fringed. Habits aquatic. The Palaearctic Water- 

 Shrew (C. fodiens) is considerably larger than the Common Shrew, 

 from which it is readily distinguished externally by its shorter and 

 much broader muzzle, comparatively smaller eyes, and larger feet 

 adapted for swimming, the sides of the feet and toes being pro- 

 vided with comb-like fringes of stiff hairs. The tail is longer than 

 the body, and possesses a well -developed swimming fringe of 

 moderately long, regularly arranged hairs, which extend along the 

 middle of the flat under surface from the end of its basal third to 

 its extremity. The fur of the body is long and very dense, varying 

 much in colour in different individuals, and this has given rise to 

 descriptions of many nominal species ; the prevailing shades are 

 dark brown, almost black, above, and more or less bright ashy 

 tinged with yellowish beneath ; sometimes in the same litter there 

 are individuals with the under surface more or less dark coloured. 

 In the number as well as in the shape of the teeth the Water- 

 Shrew differs from the Common Shrew : there is a premolar 

 less on each side above ; the bases of the teeth are much more 

 prolonged posteriorly ; and their cusps are much less stained brown, 

 so that in old individuals with worn teeth they often appear alto- 

 gether white. This species resembles the otter in its aquatic 

 habits, swimming and diving with great agility. It frequents 

 rivers and lakes, making its burrows in the overhanging banks, 

 from which when disturbed it escapes into the water. Its food 

 consists of insects and their larvae, small crustaceans, and probably 

 the fry of small fishes. It is generally distributed throughout 

 England, is less common in Scotland, and as yet it has not been 

 recorded in Ireland ; specimens have been obtained from many parts 

 of Europe, and also from Asia as far eastward as the Altai Mountains. 



Subfamily Croeidurinse. Teeth completely white. 



Myosorex? Dentition: i f , c ^, p ^, m f ; total 30 or 32. 

 Penis cylindroid and tapering ; male or female generative organs 

 opening close to anal orifice, but not forming a cloaca. Ears well 

 developed ; tail long, clothed with equal or subequal hairs. Habits 

 terrestrial. 



This genus is typically represented by M. varius, a very small 

 1 Wagler, Isis, 1832, p. 275. 2 Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1837, p. 124. 



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