262 J. Anderson — New and little hiown Asiatic Shrews. [No. 3, 



I am aware of, is on record regarding the localities and heights at which this 

 water-shrew has been found in the Himalaya, but judging by the elevation 

 at which it occurs in the Kakhyen hills which are essentially Himalayan in 

 their fauna, this most interesting shrew most probably lives at elevations of 

 3000 up to 5000 feet, or perhaps even higher. 



It is very closely allied to the aquatic shrew of Japan named Soreco 

 platycephalus, Temminck, but apparently differs from it specifically. 



By its general structure, it appears to be more nearly allied to Nectogale 

 than to Crossopus from which it is generically separated by the character 

 of its teeth, leaving out of view other and more important considerations 

 such as its long, attenuated body, and the much stronger ciliation of its feet 

 and tail, in all of which characters, as in those of its skull and teeth, it 

 evinces a closer relationshijD to Nectogale than to any other known genus of 

 shrew. It is, however, less aquatic in its habits than Nectogale, as is proved 

 by its hind feet not being webbed as in that genus, but there can be no doubt 

 of the close generic relationship of Nectogale with the Himalayan water- 

 shrew. The structural features, however, of the latter and of the Japan 

 shrew are such that they cannot be referred to any existing genus of 

 mammalia, and I therefore propose the following genus for their reception. 



CniMAREoaALE, n. g. 



2x4 2 8 



Teeth white — - — X « ^ o « = 28. Front upper incisors with a 



2i Zi ^ X o 



small talon on their inner side. Three intermediate teeth of nearly equal 

 size ; feet and toes scaly, ciliated with short coarse rigid hairs along their 

 external and internal margins. Toes not webbed. Tail long, scaly, quad- 

 rangular, covered with longish, coarse, adpressed hairs. Snout elongate : 

 ears almost wholly hidden, valvular. 



The more immediate object, however, of this paper is to describe a 

 number of shrews which appear to be new to science and to indicate a few 

 others which have hitherto been seemingly wrongly determined. 



They belong to the genera Grocidura and Soriculus. A large number 

 of the species belonging to PacJiyura, the sub-division of the first-named 

 genus distinguished by 30 white teeth, are possessed of a series of cuticular 

 aggregated glands on the side of the trunk, emitting a strong musky odour, 

 whilst a few of the same sub-division are devoid of these structures ; whereas 

 the majority of the shrews belonging to the second sub-division of Crocidura 

 with 28 white teeth, are devoid of musk glands on the side, and are 

 thus inodorous. Some very small shrews, such as C. (P.) macrotis and O. 

 (P.) nitidofulva, have musk glands, like their larger compeers, while others 

 of the very same, sub-generic division want them, e. g. C. (P.) pygmceoides. 



In estimating the age of individuals, I have always been guided by the 



