82 COMMON AMERICAN SHREW MOLE. 



SYNONYMES. 



SoBEX Aquaticus, Linn. Syst. Nat., 12th ed. corrected, vol. i., p. 74. 



Talpa Fusca, Pennant, Brit. Zool., Qoadriipeds, 314. 



ScALOPS Canadensis, Desm., Mara., p. 115. 



ScALOPE DE Canada, Cuv., Regne Animal, p. 134. 



Shrew Mole, Godman, Nat. Hist., vol. i., p. 84, pi. 5, fig. .3. 



Scai.ops Canadensis, Harlan, Fauna, p. 32. Young. 



" Pennstlvanica, Harlan, Fauna, p. 33. Adult. 



" Canadensis, Emmons, Report on Quads, of Mass., p. 15. 



" Aquaticus, Bachman, Observations on the Genus Scalops, Boston Jour. Nat. 

 Hist., vol. iv.. No. 1., p. 28, 1842. 



" Aquaticus, Dekay, Nat. Hist, of the State of New York, p. 15. 



DESCKIPTIOIT. 



Adult : — Teeth 36, corresponding with the first dental formula of this 

 genus, given on the preceding page ; incisors of moderate size, rounded 

 on their front surface and flattened posteriorly. Inrmiediately behind 

 the incisors, two minute teeth on each side, crowded together — succeed- 

 ed by four large false-molars, of a cylindrical shape, and pointed ; the 

 fourth, smallest, the fifth a little larger and slightly lobed, and the sixth, 

 which is the largest, more conspicuously lobed ; followed by three true 

 molars, each furnished with three sharp tubercles. 



In the lower, or inferior jaw, sixteen teeth ; the two posterior incisors 

 very small, succeeded on each side by another, much larger, pointed, and 

 extending forward ; three false-molars which succeed these, are pointed, 

 and the third and largest, slightly lobed ; three true molars composed of 

 two parallel prisms, terminated each by three points, and "presenting one 

 of their angles on the outer side, and one of their faces on the internal sur- 

 face ; the two first of equal size, the other somewhat smaller." Part 

 of the above description is in the ^vords of Dr. Godman, from his very cor- 

 rect and interesting article on the Shrew Mole, (vol. i., p. 82,) which 

 corresponds exactly with the results of our own investigationsof the teeth 

 of this animal, made at various times, during a period of several j'ears. 



Young. — We have found in specimens less than a yearojd, that the two 

 small thread-like teeth inserted behind the incisors in the upper jaw, were 

 entirely wanting, as also the fourth lateral incisor on each side, leaving 

 vacant spaces between them, and presenting the appearance ascribed to 

 them by Baron Cuvier and by Desmarest ; the last mentioned teeth are first 

 developed, the former appearing when the animal is full grown and all 

 the edentate spaces between the molars are filled up. 



Body, thick and cylindrical ; neck, short, so that the head appears almost 



