54 SOBECIDiE. 



to being used in bottling, and in support of this I may state that I have 

 never found this odour in English bottled liquor. I notice that Kelaart 

 also scouts the idea of the scent passing through the bottles, but thinks 

 that it may pass through a bad cork in the bottle. I think that this is 

 not so probable as the former supposition. 



Horsfield, in his Catalogue, considers S. indieus, vel Sonneratii, Is. 

 Geoffroy, as distinct from ccerulescens. Is. GeofTroy states that his S. 

 sonneratii is smaller than ccerulescens, and with the tail always one quarter 

 of the entire length ; fur, ashy, washed with russet brown, pale ashy 

 below. From the Corromandel coast. I have followed Blyth and Tomes 

 in joining this to ccerulescens. 



70. Sorex murinus. 



LiNN^us. — Blyth, Cat. 246 — 8. myosurus, Pallas — 8. swinhcei, and 

 S. viridescens, Blyth (olim). 



The Mouse-colored Shrew. 



Descr. — Brownish, or dark brownish-gray above, grayish-brown beneath, 

 the fur longer and coarser than in ccerulescens ; ears, larger ; tail nearly 

 equal in length to the body, rounded thick at the base, nearly nude with 

 a few longish hairs scattered over it ; feet and tail, fleshy. 



Length of one, head and body, 5 inches ; tail, 3 ; but larger specimens 

 are met with. 



This is the common large musk-rat of China, Burmah, and the Malayan 

 countries, extending into lower Bengal and Southern India, especially the 

 Malabar coast, where it is said to be the common species, the bite of which 

 is considered venemous by the natives. The muslty odour of this shrew 

 is much less powerful than in ccerulescens. 



71. Sorex nemorivagus, 



Hodgson, Cal. Jour. Nat. Hist. IV. 288. — Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. 

 XV. 269. — 8. murinus from Nepal, apud Horsfield ? 



The Nepal Wood Shrew. 



Descr. — Similar to 8. murinus, but of stouter make, with smaller ears ; 

 legs, entirely nude ; a longer and more tetragonal tail ; color, sooty black, 

 with a vague reddish smear, or shining rufescent-brown, paler beneath ; 

 nude parts, fleshy grey. 



Length of one, head and body, 3| inches ; tail, 2 ; foot, l^ths. 



