TALPID& 633 



ance of which is evident. Posteriorly, the hind limbs are similarly 

 removed out of the way by approximation of the hip-joints to the 

 centre line of the body. This is effected by inward curvature of 

 the innominate bones at the acetabula to such an extent that they 

 almost meet in the centre, while the pubic bones are widely separated 

 behind. The shortness of the fore limb is caused by the great 

 reduction in the length of the humerus, which has lost all resemblance 

 to its normal shape. In addition to the usual articulation with the 

 glenoid cavity of the scapula, the humerus also has a separate 

 articulation with the extremity of the clavicle. The bones of the 

 manus are enormously expanded laterally ; this expansion being 

 increased by the large sickle-like bone on the radial side of the 

 carpus, which is considered by some anatomists to represent the 

 prepollex. The skull is long and tapering, with very slender 

 zygomatic arches and elongated nasals, which are ankylosed 

 together, and in advance of which the mesethmoid is more or 

 less ossified. The vertebrae are usually C 7, D 13, L 6, S 6, 

 C 10-12; all having very strong surfaces for mutual articulation. 

 The upper incisors are chisel-like, and the canine has two roots ; 

 the first three upper premolars are simple and conical, but the 

 fourth is much larger, and canine -like. In the mandible the 

 incisors are small and somewhat proclivous, while the canine can 

 only be distinguished from them by its position ; the first lower 

 premolar is larger than the others. 



The Common Mole has an exceedingly wide distribution, 

 ranging over the greater part of the Pala3arctic region, where it is 

 met with in places so widely sundered as England and Japan. It 

 occurs in both the Himalaya and Altai mountains. In Ireland it 

 is unknown, and in Scotland it extends as far north as Caithness. 

 Eight species of the genus are recognised, which may be grouped, 

 from the characters of their dentition, as follows, viz. : i % , c fa p , 

 m f , T. wogura ; i f , c \, p , m f , T. europcea, cceca, longirostris, 

 micrura ; i f , c ^, p f , m f , T. leucura, leptura ; i f , c ^, p f , m f, 

 1. moschata. 



Except in T. europcea, the eyes are covered by a membrane. In 

 T. micrura the short tail is concealed by the fur. T. cceca is found 

 south of the Alps ; the remaining species are Asiatic, and two only 

 T. micrura and T. leucura occur south of the Himalaya. T. 

 moschata, of Tibet, is regarded by some zoologists as generically 

 distinct under the name of Scaptochirus. 



Remains of T. europcea occur in the Norfolk Forest bed, while 

 extinct species are found in the European Tertiaries as far down as 

 the Lower Miocene, although it has been proposed to separate 

 some of these forms generically. Protalpa, of the Upper Eocene 

 Phosphorites of Central France, is very closely allied, but the 

 structure of the humerus is somewhat less specialised. 



