MUSK SHREW. 529 



distance. The general length of the animal is 

 about seven inches from nose to tail, and of the 

 tail eight inches; but it is sometimes found of a 

 larger size. Its colour is a cinereous brown, 

 paler beneath; the body is moderately thick, 

 and rather of a depressed or flattened form ; the 

 head rather small ; formed as in the rest of this 

 genus, and terminating in a remarkably long and 

 flattened snout, running far beyond the lower 

 jaw: this part of the snout is nearly bare on the 

 upper part, but edged along the sides with a row 

 of vibrissas or whiskers ; and a furrow or line of 

 division runs along its upper part : it is of a seem- 

 ingly cartilaginous substance, and, in the living 

 animal, very flexible : in the lower jaw are four 

 front-teeth, and on each side six canine : the grind- 

 ers are four on each side in the upper jaw, and 

 three in the lower: the eyes are extremely small, 

 and there are no external ears, but merely the 

 appearance of a pair of small holes at some dis- 

 tance beyond the eyes : the legs are very short, 

 with five toes on all the feet, connected by a na- 

 ked web or membrane, which is much wider on 

 the hind than on the fore feet: the feet are nearly 

 naked, and of a brown colour: the tail, except at 

 its base, is perfectly naked, marked out into scaly 

 divisions, and is of a brown colour : it is also of a 

 laterally compressed form, and gradually tapers 

 to the extremity: near the base of the tail are 

 situated several small follicles or glandular re- 

 ceptacles, in which is secreted a yellowish fluid, 

 resembling in smell the strongest civet: of this 



