650 BULLETIN UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SUEVEY. 



§ 6.— DESCRIPTION OF FIVE NEW SPECIES OF AMERICAN 



SOBICIBJE. 



1. SoREX PACiFicus Baird, n. sp. 



Sorex pacijicus, Baird, MSS. ined., 186L 



Teeth 32. Upper unicuspids 5, the third decidedly smaller than the 

 fourth, the fifth smaller still, but distinctly visible externally. Upper 

 incisor lacking an obvious internal notch, but with well developed pos- 

 terior hook as large as the succeeding tooth. Under incisor with two 

 blunt lobes and a slight sinuation, reaching back to first molar, two 

 teeth being placed entirely above it. 



Nearly unicolor, without line of demarkation, becoming , insensibly a 

 little paler below. Rusty iron-gray, or light dull reddish-brown, gradu- 

 ally fading to a lighter grayer shade of the same on the under parts. 

 Feet and under side of tail brownish-white ; tail more decidedly bicolor 

 than the body, colored above to correspond. Teeth colored as usual. 



Large ; length (of skin, approximate) 3.00 inches, Tail-vertebrse 2.25, 

 with hairs 2.45. Hand 0.35. Foot 0.60. 



Rab. — Fort Umpqua, Oregon (Dr. E. P. Vollum). 



Type No. 3266, Nat. Mus. (Smiths. Inst.). 



Readily distinguished by the peculiar proportions of the unicuspid 

 teeth, which are as in all the other Shrews of the Pacific Province — these 

 species being entirely different in other respects. One of the largest 

 species, rather surpassing the S. ^'^ richardsonV of Baird, and two or 

 more times as bulky as any of the Shrews like '■'•cooperV or '■'■ 'platyrliinus''\ 

 Nearly identical in color with the type of ;S^. '■'■ riclmrdsonV of Baird (No. 

 830, Nat. Mus., Racine, Wis.), but larger; tail an inch longer, differing 

 in the latter respect much as Neosorex navigator does from N'. palustris. 

 Requiring no comparison with any other species hitherto described. 



2. Sorex sphagnicola Coues, n. sp. 



Teeth unknown ; undoubtedly 32 ; with third unicuspid undoubtedly 

 not smaller than fourth. 



Nearly unicolor, without line of demarkation, merely paler below ; 

 blackish-brown, changing insensibly on under parts to blackish-gray, 

 with a slight rusty sTiade ; tail obscurely bicolor, to correspond ; feet 

 dark brown. 



Very large, fully equaling S. '' alpimcs^^ of Europe ; length (of skin, 

 approximate) 3.25 ; tail only about half as long, 1.50 ; foot 0.50. 



Hab.— Fort Liard, H. B. T., or vicinity (W. L. Hardisty). 



Type No. 6361, Nat. Miis. (Smiths. Inst.). 



Belonging to the group of large whole-colored species, of which S. 

 pacijicus and S. " richardsoni " of Baird are other members, and which 

 represent the large plumbeous whole-colored iS. " alpinus " of Europe. 

 General appearance that of Blarina talpoides, being sooty-blackish and 

 as large as many specimens of the latter. Distinguished from S. " rich- 



