SOBEX 35 



low. Hypocone small but well developed. Third upper molar 

 with about half the crown area of second, all the elements of the 

 tooth present except hypocone. First and second lower molars 

 alike in size and form, the posterior triangle slightly larger than 

 anterior. Third molar smaller than the others, the relative size 

 of the triangles reversed, but elements of tooth all present. 



Measurements. — While there is some variation in size among 

 the different races the head and body in full-grown individuals 

 is seldom if ever less than 65 or more than 80 mm. The tail 

 falls short of head and body by from 20 to 35 mm., being thus 

 relatively shorter than in either of the other European species. 

 The hind foot ranges from 11 to about 14 '5 mm. and the 

 condylobasal length of skull from 17 '8 to 20 mm. Detailed 

 measurements are given under each of the subspecies. 



Remarks. — Sorex araneus, the most widely distributed and 

 best known of the European shrews, is so easily recognized that 

 it needs no special comparison with the other species. Specimens 

 of the dark race from Charente, France, have a superficial 

 likeness to Sorex alpinus, but are at once distinguishable 

 externally by their blackish instead of slaty coloration and 

 relatively short tail. Immature, dull coloured individuals of 

 the other races may occasionally be confused with S. minutus. 

 The same is true of shrunken, badly prepared skins. But some 

 trace of the tricolor pattern can almost invariably be found in a 

 common shrew no matter what its condition, while a glance at 

 the size of the teeth and form and proportions of the unicuspids 

 will always serve to determine the identity of any specimen in 

 hand. 



Sorex araneus araneus Linnseus. 



1758. [Sorex] araneus Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., I, 10th ed., p. 53 (Sweden). 



1828. Sorex coronatus Millet, Faune de Maine-et-Loire, I, p. 18 (Blou, 

 Maine-et-Loire, France). 



1828. Sorex personatus Millet, Faune de Maine-et-Loire, I, p., 18, foot- 

 note (Rejected MS. name for coronatus). Not Sorex personatus 

 I. Geoffroy, 1827. 



1832. Sorex concinmts Wagler, Isis, p. 54 (Bavaria). 



1832. Sorex rhinolophus Wagler, Isis, p. 54 (Bavaria). 



1832. Sorex melanodon Wagler, Isis, p. 54 (Bavaria). 



1838. Sorex vulgaris Nathusius, Wiegmann's Archiv fur Naturgesch. 



iv, I, p. 45. 



1839. S\orex~\ macrotrichus de Selys-Longchamps, Etudes de Micromamm., 



p. 20. (Specimen of S. araneus briefly described as agreeing with 



the S. macrotrichus Mehlis MSS. No locality given.) 

 1839. S\prex~] labiosus Jenyns, Ann. Nat. Hist., n, p. 326, January, 1839. 



(Frankfurt a/.\I., Germany.) 

 1857. Sorex vulgaris Blasius, Saugethiere Deutschlands, p. 129 (part). 

 1895. Sorex araneus Thomas, The Zoologist, 3rd ser., xrx, p. 63, February, 



1895. 

 1910. Sorex araneus Trouessart, Faune Mamm. d'Europe, p. 51 (part). 



Type locality. — Upsala, Sweden. 



Geographical distribution. — Western Continental Europe, 



d 2 



