SECRETARY'S REPORT. 143 



or the wing of a cricket which they sometimes leave, testify. Domestic 

 cats often catch them and bring them home, but seldom eat them, on 

 account of the musky odor which this, as all the other species of this 

 family have. Four specimens before me furnish the following description. 



Head long and slender ; nose long, and divided at the tip ; incisors, 

 two in each jaw ; the upper ones curved and notched at the base, the 

 lower ones are slanting, and elongated enough to fit in the notch at the 

 base of the upper incisors, when the mouth is closed. 



These teeth are stained red at their tips, as are also the cheek teeth, 

 which are eighteen in the upper, and ten in the lower jaw. The fifth 

 tooth from the incisors in the uppei-, and the thii-d tooth from the incisors 

 in the lower jaw, are the largest ; eyes minute, but visible ; ears large, 

 but not quite so long as the fur which conceals them ; body slender, 

 largest at the waist, covered with soft, smooth fur, which is dark cinereous 

 at its base, and for two-thirds its length, and tipped on the back with 

 brown, which gradually grows paler to the belly, where it is tipped with 

 grayish ash ; whiskers white ; feet small, and nearly naked ; the fore- 

 arm nearly hid in the fur ; three middle toes of each foot much the 

 longest ; claws, yellowish white ; tail, four-sided, less than the body in 

 length, covered with short, brown hair. Length from nose to root of 

 tail, varying from 2^ to 2f inches; length of tail from 1^ to If inches. 



S. platyrhinus, (Baird.) — Long-nosed Shrew. 



This little animal is occasionally seen, and in some localities in the 

 State, is common. It prefers the neighborhood of a swamp to any other, 

 and swims well. With one exception it is the smallest shrew in this 

 State, and I believe on the continent. 



Description. — Head long, and very narrow, hai'dly half as wide as 

 long ; the nose is- very long, and divided at the tip ; whiskers long and 

 black ; incisors, two in each jaw, the upper ones curved and notched at 

 the base, to receive the ends of the lower ones ; cheek teeth, eighteen 

 in the upper and ten in the lower jaw; all the teeth are tipped with 

 reddish brown ; eyes larger than in shrews generally ; ears large and 

 longer than the fur that surrounds them ; body very slender, covered 

 with rather short hair, cinereous at its base, but tipped on the back with 

 chestnut brown, and on the belly with dark ash ; feet rather slender than 

 strong, naked beneath, and whitish ; toes provided with slender, white 

 nails ; tail cylindrical, covered with short, sparse brown hairs, which are 

 longest at the end of the tail. Length from nose to root of tail, 2\ 

 inches; length of tail, 1^ inches. 



S. Coqperi, (Bachman.) — Cooper's Sheew. 

 This species is found in this State. I have never met with it, and not 

 having a specimen by me, I borrow the description given by Professor 



