60 SOBECIDiE. 



body ; feet and claws pale ; fur short, smooth, delicately soft, closely ad- 

 pressed. 



Length, head and body 3^ mches ; tail 1^ ; hind foot f ths. 



This shrew is very common in Sikim, and also occurs in Nepal. I found 

 many dead on the roads at Daijeeling without any apparent injury. The 

 same has been noticed of the common shrew of England, and no satisfactory 

 explanation has been given. An allied species from Ceylon has been 

 named Coraira newera-ellia by Kelaart, which ought perhaps to occur on 

 the Neelgherries. 



Gen. Ceossopus, Wagner. 



Syn. Hydrosorex, Duvemoy. 



Char. — The hind feet large and ciliated ; tail compressed and ciliated 

 beneath towards its extremity ; otherwise as in the last. 

 The water-shrew of Europe is the type of this division. 



83. Crossopus himalaicus. 



Gray, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. 1842, 261. — Oong lagniyu, Lepch. — Ghoo- 

 pitsi, Bhot. 



The Himalayan Watee-shrew. 



Descr. — Fur dark-brown, or blacMsh above, somewhat paler beneath, 

 and rusty-brown on the lower part of the throat and the middle of the 

 belly ; fur rather long, with scattered long white-tipped hairs ; a few on the 

 sides, many on the rump and round the root of the tail ; ears very small, 

 hairy, concealed ; tail long, slender, with a brush of hairs at the tip, and 

 ciliated with rigid whitish hairs beneath ; feet distinctly ciliated ; claws 

 very short ; whiskers elongate, brown. 



Length, head and body 5 inches ; tail 3^ ; hind foot nearly f ths. 

 Another measured 6 inches ; tail 3^ ; hind foot yiths. 

 I procured this water-shrew at Darjeeling, from the little Eungeet river, 

 where it is said not to be uncommon, and its aquatic habits are well known to 

 the natives, who distinguish it by a distinct name signifying, water-shrew. 

 It is said to kUl small fish, tadpoles, water-insects, &c. It is not recorded 

 among Hodgson's collections, though I imagine he must have procured it 

 in Sildm, and probably one of his undesoribed species may be referred to 

 this. 



Crossopus fodiens, Pallas, is the well Imown water-shrew of Europe ; 

 and there are other species from North America and Japan. 



