142 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



Parascalops breweri (Bachman) Eastern haity-tailed mole 



1844 Scalops breweri Bachman, Bostoo jour. nat. Mst. 4: 32. ("Islanci 



of Marthas Vineyard, Mass." This doubtless an error.) 

 1895 Parascalops breweri True, Science, n. s. 25 Jan. 1895. 1: 101. 

 1896 Parascalops breweri True, Proc. U. S. national museum. 19: 68. 



Dark lead-gray, seldom if ever tinged with rusty ; tail dark. Total length,. 

 147 (515); tail vertebrae, 30 (lA) ; hind foot, 19 (|). (br6weri; name from, 

 that of Thomas Mayo Brewer) 



The eastern hairy- tailed mole inhabits dry soil in the boreal and 

 transition zones of the eastern United States and southern Canada. 



Family Soricidae Shrews 



Body usually slender and mouse-like, with a distinct neck; eyes well devel- 

 oped but very small; a disiinct external ear; front feet small, not specially 

 modified; fur only moderately soft and dense. (Sorici dae; fromgenus Sorex)- 



The range of the family Soricidae is essentially the same as that 

 of the order I nse c t i V o r a. 10 or more genera are known, three of 

 which occur in North America. Two of these are found within our limits. 

 Shrews are small animals much like mice in general appearance but 

 readily distinguishable by their pointed snouts and small eyes. 



GENERA OF SORICIDAE 



Ears completely hiddeu by the fur; tail scarcely longer than head..B larina 

 Ears distinctly visible ; tail much longer thau head Sorex 



Genus Blarina Gray 



1838 Blarina Gray, Proo. zool. soc. London. (1837) p. 124. Type Sorex 

 talpoides Gapper=S. brevieaudus Say. 



Ears very small, completely hidden by the fur; body stout, somewhat mole- 

 like; tail scarvchj longer than head. (Blarina; acoinedword) 



The genus Blarina is peculiar to America. All but one of the 23 

 known forms are North American or Central American. The exception, 

 B. thorn as i Merriam, is the only known South American mem- 

 ber of the order Insectivora. Two species only are found within 

 our limits. 



SPECIES OP BLARINA 



Teeth 32; total length about 120 (4f) (subgenus Bl arin a ). . B. brevicauda 

 Teeth 30; total length about 75 (3) (subgenus Cryptotis) B. parva 



Blarina brevicauda (Say) Large blarina 



1823 Sorex brevieaudus Say, Long's exped. to the Rocky mts. 1 : 164. 



(Near Blair Neb.) 

 1857 Blarina brevicauda Baird, Mamm. N. Am. p. 42. 



