Feb., 1912. Mammals of Illinois and Wisconsin — Cory. 431 



Description — Size very small; upper parts dark hair-brown, often 

 approaching sepia brown; under parts dull ashy gray; tail dark 

 brown above, the under surface like the belly; fourth upper uni- 

 cuspid exceedingly small and at first glance apparently absent, 

 difficult to see without a strong lense and then rarely visible from 

 the outside. 



Measurements — Total length, about 3.12 in. (79.4 mm.); tail verte- 

 bras, .60 in. (16 mm.); hind foot, .40 in. (10.5 mm.). 



Small Short-tailed Shrew {Blarina parva). 



The Small Short-tailed Shrew is common in southern and central 

 Illinois, and probably occurs nearly throughout the state, as it is 

 recorded by Kennicott from Dekalb County. (S. eximius, I. c, p. 97.) 

 There are specimens in the Field Museum collection from Johnson, 

 Alexander, and Hancock counties; Wood reports it from Mason and 

 Champaign counties. I have also seen specimens from Charleston, 

 Coles County, collected by Mr. T. L. Atkinson. 



Comparatively little is known regarding its habits, although they 

 probably differ but little from those of the larger species. It seems to 

 prefer overgrown grassy localities. Hahn stated that in Indiana all 

 the specimens he collected were taken in ''grassy places, usually where 

 briars and shrubs were mingled with the grass, but never in the woods" 



