92 



though Professor Owen, from his owa investigations, had arrived at simi- 

 lar conclusions, but disguising the similarity by the application of a 

 different name. Bat the appreciation of the additional differences of the 

 Insectivores from the Carnivores in. placental characters, as well as in 

 the skeleton and visceral economy, has at length procured the general 

 adoption of the order and its isolation from the Carnivores. 



The typical insectivorous mammals known toLinneeus were distributed 

 by him among three genera, Talpa, Sorex, and Unnaceus, besides Galeo- 

 pithems. Various genera were successively dismembered from these or 

 subsequently discovered, but the confidence in the value of form distinc- 

 tive of each type, as a taxonomic denominator, was long entertained, and 

 an eminent anatomist* so entirely disregarded the lessons of his own ex- 

 perience as to combine the forms known in 1838 in the three Linnsean 

 genera, with the various groups apportioned in the following manner: 



Talpa : 



Chrvsochloris. 



Talpa. 



Talpa-Sorex (=Scalops). 



Condylura. 

 Sorex : 



Mygale. 



Solenodon. 



Sorex. 



Macroscelides. 



Glisorex (=Tupaia). 

 Erinaceus : 



Gymnura. 



Erinaceus. 



Centetes. 



Ericulus. 



Gray, 1822. 



As early as 1822, Dr. John Edward Gray recognized the family value 

 of four of the groups still retained with that value, in one case only 

 {Mygalidce) adding to a family an utterly incongruous element [Chryso- 

 cliloris). He united these families with the Ursinidce (comprising Ursns, 

 Procyon, Meles, and Gulo) in an order (2. Plantigraclce) of unguiculate 

 quadrupeds, and to another (1. P^eroj^/ione) referred alone the family 

 Oaleopithecidce. His arrangement and nomenclature of the insectivorous 

 families were as follows ; the cacography and punctuation of the several 

 genera being in every respect reproduced from the original : t 



* Blainville (H. de). Note surles carnassiers insectivores. <Anii. frang. et Strang, d'anat. 

 et de physiol., I, 315-316, 1837. 



\ Fam. 1. Erinacidse. — Teeth, grinders acutely tubercular, cutting six in each jaw, two 

 middle ones largest; caaine very short ; body spiny, forming a ball: tail very short : ears 

 external. 



1. Hedgehog, Erinaceus. Lin. E. europeus. Lin. 



Fam. 2. Soricidse. — Teeth, grinders acutely tubercular, cutting, acute, six or eight in each 

 jaw, two middle very long ; canine very short : body hairy: ears external: clavicles perfect. 

 Shrew, Sorex. Lin. S. araneus. Lin. 



Fam. 3. Myaladfe. — Teeth, grinders, with acute tubercles, cutting six or eight ia each jaw, 

 two middle very small, next long, canine very short body hairy : tail none, or compressed, 

 scaly: ears none, external : eyes small. 



1. Desman, Mygale. Cuv. Sorex moschatus. Lin. 



2. Scalops. Cuv. Sorex aquaticus. Lin. 



3. Condylui'a. lUig. Talpa cristata. Lin. 



4. Chrysochlore, Chrysochloris. Cuv. Sorex auratus. Lin. 



