ORDER CARNASSIER. 195 



Nearly so, like those cf the European Mole, and in cnose- 

 quence of this have been placed by some writers among 

 the Moles. One of these we have already described, 

 namely, the Sorex aquaticus, of which the Baron has made 

 his genus Scalope. The other is the Sorex cristatus, of 

 which Uliger formed his genus Condylure, which the Baron 

 has, in the " Regne Animal," at least, suppressed. It will 

 be proper, however, in this article on the Moles to present 

 our readers with the observations opinion of M. Desmarest 

 on the subject, 



M. Cuvier, in the " Regne Animal," established the cha- 

 racters of the Mole on the inspection of one proper to the 

 European species ; and he suppressed this genus of Uliger, 

 because, from the inspection of its teeth, he was assured that 

 it was a true Mole, and not a Sorex, as we have seen in 

 the text. This opinion was received by M. Desmarest, until 

 M. Lesueur sent a Sorex cristatus from Philadelphia to 

 Paris ; and on inspection of this subject, M. D. became con- 

 vinced that it ought to be considered as a separate genus. 

 It presents characters, according to him, altogether pecu- 

 liar to itself, and which separate it equally from the Moles 

 and from the Shrews. We shall first, however, treat of the 

 true Moles, and then the Condylures after M. Desmarest. 



The Talpa is defined as a genus of the insectivorous 

 Mammalia of the second tribe, or that which contains spe- 

 cies with four large canine teeth separated from each other, 

 and having between them small incisive teeth ranged upon 

 a single line. 



This genus is thus characterized : six upper incisors, 

 small, vertical, and nearly equal in height, the intermediate 

 ones being broader than the lateral ; eight small lower 

 incisors, arranged archwise, and rather on a declivity ; two 

 canines in each jaw, which surpass the incisors, and are 

 triangular and compressed, the upper ones being larger 

 than the under. There are seven molars on each side of 



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