1877.] J. Anderson — New and little hnown Asiatic Shrews. 261 



Length of bony palate from anterior alveolar margin to 



the opening of the posterior nares, 75 '0185 



Length of carnassial tooth along outer edge, 02 -005 



Breadth of tubercular (hinder) molar, 0-15 '0938 



Breadth of bony palate between hinder molars, 0-3 -0075 



Length of lower jaw from condyle to symjDhysis, 1- '025 



Height of ditto from the coronoid process, 0-5 -0125 



VIII. — Description of some neiv and little hnown Asiatic SJireios in tlie 

 Indian Museum^ Calcutta. — By John Anderson, M. D., Sujjcrin- 

 tendent. 



In preparing a Catalogue of the Mammals in the Indian Museum, it 

 has been necessary to examine in detail the now somewhat extensive collec- 

 tion of shrews which has been formed since the Asiatic Socif>ty's collections 

 were practically transferred to the Government of India, nearly eleven years 

 ago. 



To show the progress which has been made since 1866, in a department 

 which has never attracted many cultivators, it may suffice to state that 

 Blyth's Catalogue of Mammals which was published in 1863 contained only 

 15 species of Asiatic Shrews. These were represented in the Asiatic 

 Society's Museum, in 1865, by 22 mounted and 18 alcoholic specimens, and 

 by 5 skulls and 2 skeletons. 



At present, there are 38 species of these small Mammals in the Indian 

 Museum, illustrated by nearly 130 alcoholic specimens, 29 dried skins, 71 

 skulls and 5 skeletons. 



The most important additions to the Indian Museum in this section of 

 the vertebrates, since the publication of Blyth's Catalogue, have been AnurO' 

 sorex, and the water- shrew of the Himalayas, the so-called Crossojms 

 himalaiciis. 



The discovery of the former, remarkable, generic type in Assam was 

 made by Mr. S. E. Peal of Sibsagar, in 1871, about one year after it had 

 been described by M. A. Milne-Edwards from a specimen obtained in 

 Se-tchouan and Tibet by the distinguished traveller, M, I'Abbe David. 



The first specimen of the Himalayan water-shrew in the Indian Museum 

 was obtained by the late Dr. Jerdon in Sikkim, and the second example was 

 procured by myself to the east of Bhamo, in the Kakhyen hills which form 

 the natural western boundary of the Chinese Province of Yunnan. It has 

 been again obtained by Mr. Mandelli of Darjiling who has done so much to 

 extend our knowledge regarding the fauna of Sikkim. No information that 



