358 Mr. G. DoUinan on the African Shrews 



(65) C rod dura nigricatis, Boc. 

 Crocidura niyricayis, Bocage, Jorn. Sc. Lisb. i. p. 29 (1889). 



Probably allied to the Welle River species described above 

 and to vigrofusca from the Semliki District. 



The colour is as follows : — " Pelage eu dessus d'un noir- 

 bleu d'ardoise uiiiforme, en dessous plus pale ; les poils 

 d'un cendre de plomb Jl la base ; .... la queue noiratre eu 

 dessus, brunatre eu dessous.^' 



The second upper \inicuspid ('^i^'') is stated to be larger 

 than the third or canine, which is a little longer than the 

 anterior cusp o£ the large premolar. 



Dimensions of the type (as given by Bocage) : — 



Head and body 70 mm. ; tail 52; hind foot 12. 



Hab. Quiudumbo, Angola. 



Type. In Lisbon INIuseum. 



In general dental characters this species would appear to 

 agree with nigrofusca and to a certain extent with the pre- 

 ceding species; but the general dimensions and colour arevery 

 different, nigrnfusca being considerably browner and having 

 a larger hind foot and longer tail, while the Welle River 

 species is considerably paler in colour and with a much 

 shorter tail. 



(QQ) Crocidura nigrofusca, Matsch. 



Crocidura nif/rofusca, Matschie, Saug. Deutsch. Ost-Afiica, p. 33 

 (1895). 



About equal in size to iurba, but with a much longer tail 

 and having the second upper uuicuspids larger than the 

 third. 



Colour above dark blackish brown, the new pelage near 

 '' blackish brown (1) " mixed with " mummy-brown, '^ and 

 the worn coat about as in " mummy-brown." Flanks a 

 trifle paler, the tint merging gradually into the dull brownish 

 grey of the belly. Backs of hands and feet dark brown. 

 Tail long, dark brown above and below ; bristle-hairs con- 

 fined to basal half, not very conspicuous. 



Skull much as in turba, but with the second upper uni- 

 cuspid larger than the third. There seems to be some error 

 in Alatschie's description of the uuicuspids, probably due to 

 a different understanding of the dental nomenclature; he 

 writes, " ij und pnii ira Oberkiefer sind ungefiihr gleicli breit, 

 aber i^ ist fast doppelt so gross wie c und der vordere 

 Ilocker von pm^ ist wenig kleiner als c." I have accepted 

 three specimens from the I'pper Congo as representing 





