COUES ON INSECTIVOROUS MAMMALS. 653 



abruptly much smaller (only about half as large) ; fourth minute, cou- 

 cealeil from external view by contact of third with the first molariform 

 tooth. Posterior hook of upper incisor well developed, larger than third 

 unicuspid ; no internal snag. Under incisor with two prominent lobes, 

 reaching back below the two succeeding teeth. Teeth all well colored ; 

 the points of the incisors quite black. 



Cnicolor ; entirely sooty blackish-brown, merely a little paler below, 

 without any line of demarkation whatever ; tail and feet likewise dusky. 



Tail rather long for Blarina, contained only two and a half times in 

 length of head and body ; very scant-haired. Claws rather large. Fur 

 soft and full, almost fluffy, with very little lustre. 



Length (of well-prepared skin, closely approximate) 2.50. Tail 1.00 ; 

 the terminal pencil hardly 0.10 longer. Hands 0.35. Feet 0.50. Long- 

 est claws 0.08 or 0.09. Skull (slightly defective behind, estimated) 0.75 ; 

 its width 0.37 ; its height 0.25. 



Hal). — Xalapa, Mexico (R. Montes d'Oca). 



Type Xo. ffH, Nat. Mus. (Smiths. Inst.) (skin 3525, skull 4438). 



This remarkable species combines the 30 teeth of Soriciscus and 

 other dental characters of that groujD with the external appearance of 

 Blarina proper, resembling B. talpoides in its uniform blackish color, 

 though it is still darker, as well as much smaller. The tail is relatively 

 longer, though the dimensions above assigned may be somewhat too 

 large. The skull is heavier and less attenuate than usual in Soriciscus, 

 to which section the species nevertheless belongs. 



