Mr. G. E. Dobson on new Species of Crocidura. 225 



XXXIII. — Description of new Species of Crocidura from 

 Africa. By G. E. Dobsox, M.A., F.R.S. 



The following descriptions of three new species of the genus 

 Crocidura are derived from examinations of specimens pre- 

 served in the collections of the British Museum, and of the 

 Zoological Museum of the Imperial Academy of Sciences at 

 St. Petersburg. All belong to the section of the genus with 

 twenty-eight teeth. The dentition of each species will be 

 found figured in Part III. of my Monograph of the Insecti- 

 vora, of which I am about to publish the plates. 



Crocidura nana. 



Scarcely if at all larger than Crocidura etrusca, and there- 

 fore the smallest species of this section of the genus as yet 

 discovered. Fur above dark slate-brown, with a faint 

 greyish tinge ; beneath white, the colour of the upper sepa- 

 rated from that of the lower surface by a sharp line. The 

 feet are clothed with short shining whitish hairs ; the tail 

 with short brownish hairs, with many long fine dark brown 

 hairs projecting almost to the tip. Ears moderate, clothed 

 with short dark brown hairs. 



The anterior maxillary tooth is shorter than the third 

 incisor in vertical extent, but exceeds it in cross section at 

 the base, and the postero-internal part of its base is in con- 

 tact with the premolar. (See Monograph of the Insectivora, 

 part iii. fasc. i. pi. xxviii.*) Length, head and body, about 

 40 millim., tail SO, pes 8i, distance from tip of first upper 

 incisor to apex of principal cusp of last premolar 3^. 



Hah. East Africa (Dollo, Somali Land). 



Type, the skin of an adult individual, collected by Messrs. 

 E. L. and W. D. James, preserved in the British Museum 

 (Nat. Hist.). 



As 1 am very unwilling to describe new species from skins, 

 I waited for a long time, hoping that a specimen preserved 

 in alcohol might be procured ; but my expectations not having 

 been realized I resolved to leave this very interesting species 

 no longer undescribed, particularly as the characters afforded 

 are ample for its recognition. 



Crocidura Strauchii. 



Slightly larger than C. aranea, but with a much longer 

 tail and larger ears. The tail is moderately thick, and 

 clothed with short fur, which nearly conceals all the scales, 

 * This part of my work will be published in a few weeks. 



