624 INSECTIVORA 
some writers as Ificrosorer), of the same country, this tooth is 
rudimentary. 
Other North American Shrews, which are regarded by some 
zoologists as generically distinct under the name of Neosorez, are 
aquatic, and thus take the place of the Old World genus Crossopus. 
These are 8. palustris of the Rocky Mountains and S. hydrodromus of 
Unalaska Island, both of which resemble Crossopus in having the 
feet provided with swimming fringes, but agree with the other 
species of Sorex in their dentition and the character of the tail. 
The former species is about the size of Crossopus fodiens, while the 
latter is scarcely larger than S. pygmeus. 
Soriculus..Dentition : i #, ¢ 3, p , m %; total 30, or rarely 
32. Opening of male or female generative organs forming with the 
anal orifice a shallow cloaca. Ear and tail asin Sorex. First upper 
incisor with an internal cusp. Habits terrestrial. 
This genus is the only representative in the Oriental region of 
the Soricine, which are otherwise confined to the Palearctic and 
Nearctic regions. The Indian and Burmese species comprise 
S. nigrescens, S. caudatus, and S. macrurus. 
Notiosorea.?—Dentition: i 3, ¢ 3, p 3, m 3; total 28. Tail 
moderate ; first upper incisor without an inner cusp; other 
characters as in Sortculus. Habits terrestrial. 
This American genus is represented by S. crawfordi and S. evotis, 
which are found in Central America and Mexico, and are thus some 
of the most southerly representatives of the Shrews in that con- 
tinent. Their external appearance is very similar to that of the 
Old World genus Crocidura. 
Blarina.2—Dentition : 2 SB; C4, Py ms; total 32 or 30. Ear 
truncated above; tail short; otherwise as in Soriculus. This group of 
so-called Earless or Short-tailed Shrews is mainly North American, the 
common forms being B. dekayi and B. brevicauda. The species vary 
considerably in size; and B. mevicana and micrura extend the 
range of the genus into Mexico and Guatemala. The following 
account of the habits of B. brevicaudu is taken from Dr. Merriam’s 
Mammals of the Adirondack Region: “The rigours of our northern 
winters seem to have no effect in diminishing its activity, for 
it scampers about on the snow during the severest weather, 
and I have known it to be out when the thermometer indi- 
cated a temperature of - 20° Fahr. It makes long journeys 
over the snow, burrowing down whenever it comes to an 
elevation that denotes the presence of a log or stump, and I am 
inclined to believe that at this season it must feed largely upon 
1 Blyth, Journ. As. Soc. Bengal, vol. xxiv. p. 36 (1855). 2 Coues, Bull. 
U.S. Geol. Surv, Terrs. vol. iii. p. 646 (1877). ® Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 
1837, p. 124, 
