182 CLASS MAMMALIA. 



other characters it may be easily recognised amid the little 

 group of the Shrews ; the first is a narrow and white line 

 which extends over the forehead, and departing from the 

 front, disappears gradually over the nostrils ; the second is 

 a white spot upon the ears. The hairs which compose this 

 spot grow from the inside of the auricular conch, and bor- 

 der the two small lobes which we noticed in describing the 

 first species. Similar hairs may be seen, but shorter, and 

 more scanty, in the other Shrews. 



The incisors are brown towards their extremity. From 

 the form of the tail, it seems likely that this species is 

 aquatic, and seldom removes far from moist situations. 



The Sorex Remifer or (Oared Shrew) is considerably 

 larger than any of the preceding. M. Geoffroy regards it 

 as a distinct species. He saw three different specimens. 



This Shrew differs from the preceding by its proportions, 

 especially by those of the muzzle, which is very blunt and 

 short. It is generally more clumsy in its figure, but bears 

 a resemblance to the last in the colours of its fur, which 

 is, however, of a brown black, considerably deeper in its 

 shade. The belly is of a brownish ash-colour, and the 

 throat of a clear ash-colour. The same spot is obser- 

 vable upon the ear, but not the stripe across the fore- 

 head. 



The extremities of the teeth are of a ferruginous brown. 

 The peculiarity, which among other characters, more espe- 

 cially distinguishes this new species, not only from the 

 striped Shrew, but from every other, is the very singular 

 form of the tail. In its first half it is a perfect square, 

 having each face entirely plane, except the under one which 

 is furrowed. From the end of this furrow originates in 

 the other half a keel, which is prolonged in proportion as 

 the tail diminishes in breadth. The tail ends in a com- 

 pressed and flattish form, which bears no indistinct resem- 

 blance to the shape of certain kinds of oars. 



