144 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



Spencer F. Baird.* This species is " Very slender and small ; ears rather 

 large, nearly as long as the adjacent fur; longest hairs on back, about 

 one and a half lines ; feet slender, but moderately long ; tubercles on 

 sole large and distinct ; fore-feet contained nearly twice in the hinder, 

 which are about five-eighths the length of the skull ; Avidth of skull rather 

 less than half its length ; palate more than three-eighths this length ; tail 

 nearly as long as head and body, well pencilled at the tip ; third upper 

 premolar tooth above, equal to the fourth ; premolars not imbricated ; 

 anterior upper incisor, with an inner lobe in contact with its fellow ; color 

 above, light chestnut brown, beneath, pale brownish, or chestnut white ; 

 length, mostly under two inches ; tail, 1 } ?, inches ; bind foot, -^^^^y of an 

 inch." 



Genus: Blarina. — (Gray.) 

 Characteristics. — Head broad; ear small, completely bidden in the 

 adjacent fur; canines, two in each jaw; false molars, ten in the upper 

 and four in the lower jaw, or eight in the upper and lower jaws ; true 

 molars, eight in the upper and six in the lower jaw ; body thick and 

 strong ; feet large, the anterior ones as broad as the posterior ones ; toes, 

 five on each foot, furnished with sharp, curved nails ; tail short, nearly 

 as long as the bead. This genus includes the short-tailed shrews, of 

 which there are two species in this State. 



B. brevicauda, (Gray.) — Short-tailed Shkew. 



This species is quite common in some localities in this State. It is not 

 so nocturnal as the other species. I have found them in the day-time 

 busily searching in the fallen leaves and decaying wood for food. Their 

 sense of bearing and that of scent is very acute. I once saw one run- 

 ning along with his nose in the air, like a pointer dog ; he went in nearly 

 a straight line for several yards, and soon the craunching of a large beetle, 

 which was plainly audible at the distance of several yards, showed me 

 the game he was after. 



Description. — Head large, and about two-thirds as broad as long ; 

 incisors, two in each jaw; cheek teeth, eighteen in the upper and ten in 

 the lower jaw ; all the teeth tipped with brown ; nose naked, bifid, and 

 of a vivid brown color ; whiskers long, white ; body robust, covered with 

 soft, smooth fur, which is slate-colored at its base, tipped on the back with 

 dark brown, and on the belly with lighter slate ; feet nearly naked, the 

 fore-feet quite as wide as the hind feet ; inner toe of each foot shortest, 

 outer one next, the three middle ones about of a length ; tail short, cylin- 

 drical, compressed at the root, clothed with short hairs, which are longest 

 at the tip. Length from nose to root of tail, 3^ inches ; length of tail, J 

 of an inch. 



* Pacific R. E. Sun'ey, Vol. VIII., p. 27. 



