Mr. E. Blyth on the Indian species of Shreivs. J 7 



S. carulescens. S. indicus. S. murinus. 



II III II III // /// 



Head and body about... 6 6 



Head 18 17 1 7i 



Tail 2 10 2 2 2 6 



Fore-arm 10 



Fore-foot 5^ 6i 



Tarsus and toes 9 9^ 9 



S. Griffith II is a perfectly distinct and well-marked species, 

 remarkable for the large size of its teeth, which exceed those of 

 every example of the great S. cerulescens I have yet seen. I 

 cannot concur witli Dr. Horstield in considering the fur as cither 

 short, close or soft, but describe the species thus — Fur of me- 

 dium length, deep blackish-grey, glossy and rather coarse; ears 

 smaller and more hidden than in S. c.erulescens. Front teeth 

 very large. Head and body about 5" 9"' . Head 1" 7"' or 8"'. 

 Tail 2" 5'". Fore-arm 9'". Fore-foot 6 V". Tibia 11'". Hind- 

 foot 10^'". Length of lower incisors 3i'".— R. F. T.] 



3. S. SERPENTARius, Is. GeofFioy ; 8. kandianus, Kelaart. 

 Descril^ed in J. A. S. xxi. 350, from a skin sent by Dr. Kelaart, 

 as " the large godown Shrew of Kandy,^' though scarcely corre- 

 sponding with his indications, J. A. S. xx. 164, 185. A second 

 skin of precisely the same species, and also an adolescent spe- 

 cimen entire in spirit, were subsequently forwarded from ^lergui 

 by Capt. Berdmore, as noticed in xxii. 412. In both adults the 

 tail (vcrtebrje) measures 2iin.; and the head and body (allow- 

 ing for some extension of the skin) about 4^ in. "The Kan- 

 dyan specimen is more rufescent than the others, but we can 

 perceive no further difference whatever ; indeed, to judge from 

 the two Mergui examples, it would seem that this animal becomes 

 more rufescent with age." Dr. Kelaart states that its odour is 

 as offensive as that of the large Musk Shrew of Ceylon. The 

 Coromandel coast and the jMauritius are given as its habitats. 

 Colour duskyish grey, with dark rufous-brown tips to the fur, 

 more or less developed according to age, and the under parts 

 somewhat paler. 



4, S. soccATUs, Hodgson, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. xv. 270. A 

 Sikim specimen which we refer to this species bears considerable 

 resemblance to the last, but is a good deal darker, with well-clad 

 feet and tail, and the head and limbs are proportionally larger. 

 Entire length of skull with front teeth in situbus 1 j'^ in. ; 

 breadth y^^ in. (nearly) ; entire range of upper teeth f in. ; ditto 

 of S. SERPENTARIUS barely exceeding i in. Tail (vertebrae) 

 2y'^ in. ; compressed towards tip, which is furnished with a 

 pencil-tuft of stiffish hairs. Mr. Hodgson thus describes his 



Ann. ^ Mag. N. Hist. Ser. 2. Vol. xvii. 2 



