SOEEX 



61 



scantily haired elsewhere, a variation not wholly dependent on 

 season.* At middle of tail there are about 18 annulations to the 

 centimeter. Feet relatively larger than in Sorex araneus, but 

 not peculiar in form. 



Colour. — Entire upper parts a deep slaty grey produced by 

 the combination of blackish-slate under colour and short seal- 

 brown tips, lightened to a varying degree by silvery sub-terminal 

 annulations. Underparts slightly washed with sepia, but the 

 difference in colour of the two surfaces not conspicuous, and sides 

 entirely without line of demarcation. Feet scantily clothed with 

 silvery hairs. Tail sharply bicolor, nearly black above and at 

 tip, buffy whitish below, the light area always less extensive than 

 the dark, and sometimes reduced on distal half of tail to a 

 narrow median line. 



Shull. — The skull, though of the same general dimensions as 

 that of Sorex araneus, is recognizable by its 

 less elevated brain-case, the outline of which 

 when viewed from above is more nearly 

 circular, owing to the very slight flattening 

 of antero-external portion of border. Inter- 

 orbital region less tapering than in the 

 related species, a character due to the 

 slightly though appreciably greater lachrymal 

 breadth. The diameter of the tympanic ring 

 is usually though not constantly less than in 

 Sorex araneus. Anteorbital foramen slightly 

 larger than in S. araneus. Lachrymal fora- 

 men opening over point of contact between 

 first and second molars. 



Teeth. — Relatively to size of skull the teeth 

 are noticeably smaller than in Sorex araneus ; this is particularly 

 evident in the anterior upper incisor when viewed from the side, 

 and the upper unicuspids when viewed from below. Anterior 

 upper incisor with basal lobe even smaller than in S. minutus, its 

 height slightly less than that of first unicuspid and much less than 

 that of anterior lobe of incisor, "Viewed from below it appears 

 to occupy decidedly less than half of tooth, while from side it 

 appears scarcely half as large as first unicuspid, from which it 

 further differs in its simple peg-like form. The two teeth come 

 in contact at about the same level as in S. araneus, but their tips 

 diverge more noticeably. Anterior lower incisor with shaft 

 distinctly tapering, its cutting edge with three low, sometimes 

 ill-defined lobes. Upper unicuspids less robust than in Sorex 

 araneus, their crowns distinctly longer than broad. The cusp 

 occupies more than half area of crown, at expense of crushing 

 area, most of which, except in fifth unicuspid, lies obliquely 

 instead of horizontally. Viewed from -the side the unicuspids 



* A specimen in full winter coat, but with the tail bare at tip (B.M. 

 3. 2. 2. 2), was taken at Hatszeg, Hunyad, Hungary, on December 12. 



