532 31. A. C. Einton — British Fossil Shrews. 



shorter antero-posteriorly, a little wider than either p. - or the 

 canine. Cheek-teeth (p. --m. -) essentially as in recent Sorex ', 

 posterior emarginations of first three (p. ^-m. -) considerably 

 shallower than in S. araneus — a feature well seen in Newton's figures 

 (op. cit., pi. xv, figs. 5, 6). 



The larger limb-bones from the Forest Bed are cleaily referable to 

 S. savini. The humerus (five complete examples before me) differs 

 importantly from that of S. araneus in that the ridges for the insertion 

 of the pectoral, deltoid, and teres major muscles descend to a much 

 lower point upon the shaft [vide Newton's figure, op. cit., pi. xv, 

 fig. 14). Length of humerus, 9.2-10.1 mm. 



Remarks. — Science owes much to Mr. Savin's careful collecting 

 from the Forest Bed, and personally I am indebted to him for the 

 extreme liberality with which he has placed his material at my 

 disposal. I have therefore great pleasure in naming this fine Forest 

 Bed species in his honour. S. savini is distinguished as the largest 

 British Shrew hitherto discovered, and it is only known from the Upper 

 Freshwater Bed. 



Sorex runtonensis, n.sp. (PI. XXV, Figs. 8, 9, and Text-fig. 8a.) 



Crossopus fodiens, Owen, Brit. Foss. Mam., 1846, p. 28, fig. 14, No. 1 ; 



Lydekker, Cat. Foss. Mam. B.M., pt. i, p. 17, 1885. 

 Sorex pygmceus, Newton (in part), Vert. For. Bed, p. 97, pi. xv, fig. 11, 1882. 



Material examined. — Mandibulte : ( 1 ) two left rami from Upper 

 Freshwater Bed, Ostend (Green Coll., B.M. 17653« and 15949), the 

 first specimen being that figured by Owen (loc. cit. sup.) and referred 

 by him to Crossopus fodiens — the characters of the condyle and incisor 

 clearly show it to be referable to Sorex and not JYeomi/s ; (2) two 

 rami in the Museum of Practical Geology, of which one was figured 

 by Newton (loc. cit. sup.); (3) a left ramus in Savin Coll. 

 (B.M. 6154); (4) thirty-two rami in Mr. Savin's private collection. 

 All the specimens enumerated have either the condyle or else the 

 incisor in place ; all come from the Upper Freshwater Bed, and, 

 excepting the two in the Green Collection, from West Bunton. 



Characters. — Size small, but considerabh r larger than S. minutus. 

 Mandible (Figs. 8, 8«, 9) : coronoid process slender and pointed 

 above ; condyle very light, its vertical diameter conspicuously less 

 than the antero-posterior length of ascending ramus at level of molars. 

 Incisor when unworn with four denticles and three notches, the 

 two posterior notches persisting until an advanced stage of wear. 

 Teeth stained extensively. 



Remarks. — When determining remains of Shrews from the Forest 

 Bed there cannot be any confusion between those appertaining to the 

 species here named S. runtonensis and those of the far larger and very 

 different <S. savini. In size the lower jaw of S. runtonensis is 

 intermediate between those of S. araneus and S. minutus, and it is 

 distinguished from either by the form of the coronoid process, 

 condyle, etc., as will be best appreciated from the figures and 

 measurements. S. runtonensis is known only from the Upper 

 Freshwater Bed. 



