190 CLASS MAMMALIA, 



becomes vertically compressed. It is, also, like the tail of 

 the Beaver, thickly set with scales between small intervals, 

 which are filled with short and isolated hairs. Some scales 

 are also found on the upper part of the toes. 



The fur of this Desman is much esteemed. It is com- 

 posed, like that of the Beavers, of long silky hairs, and a 

 kind of soft and marrowy felt concealed beneath. The fur 

 is of a brown colour, paler above, and deeper on the flanks. 

 The belly is of a silvery-white. 



The Desman of the Pyrenees, {My gale Pyrena'iea.) The 

 discovery of this new species is owing to M. Desrouais, 

 Professor of Natural History, at the central school of Tar- 

 bes, in France. It is one-half smaller than the Desman 

 described by Pallas. The tail is neither compressed at its 

 commencement, nor inflated beyond that point. It dimi- 

 nishes gradually and insensibly towards its extremity, is 

 cylindrical in three-fourths of its length, and vertically 

 compressed in the remainder. It is covered with short flat 

 hairs, that are almost entirely adherent. Its nostrils are 

 twice as long as in the preceding species. The front toes 

 are but half enveloped in the skin, and the external toe of 

 the hind foot is also nearly free. The fur is the same as 

 that of the last species, as to the nature of the hair, which 

 is silky, and as to its felty basis. But its colours are some- 

 what different. All the upper part is of a Maroon-brown, 

 the flanks grayish-brown, and the belly silvery-gray. There 

 is no white part upon the face, as Pallas relates, to be the 

 characteristic of the Desman of Russia. 



This species has, as yet, been found only at the foot of 

 the Pyrenees, in the neighbourhood of Tarbes. The very 

 great distance between the places where these two Des- 

 mans are found, is additional reason for believing in the 

 diversity of their species. 



The Scalope is the next sub-division of the insectivorous 



