78 SORICID^— SOREX 



moderately hairy (Plate VII., Figs, i and 2). The generative 

 organs, which are much enlarged during the breeding season, 

 open separately from the anus ; the vagina is imperforate in 

 the young female ; the penis is cylindrical or tapering. 



There is no caecum ; the stomach is elongated pylorically, 

 and is not globular as in Neomys, to be described below (see 

 Jenyns, Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., June 1841, 267). 



The mammae, placed inguinally, are normally arranged as 

 three pairs. 



There is on each side of the body, at a point situated at 

 about one-third of the distance from the elbow to the knee, a 

 lateral gland (see Linde, Gegenbaur's Morphologische s Jahrbuch, 

 xxxvi., 465, 1907), covered by two rows of coarse hairs. From 

 this exudes a secretion to which shrews owe their peculiarly 

 unpleasant odour; the gland is especially prominent during 

 the breeding season, at which time also there is an enormous 

 development of the generative organs. 



In the skeleton there is no pubic symphysis, and the tibia 

 and fibula are united. 



The long and narrow skull tapers markedly to the snout, 

 and is without zygomatic arch, post-orbital process, or 

 tympanic bulla, the tympanum being ring-like. 



Hinton points out that the mandibular condyle affords good 

 generic characters, which are very useful in determining jaws 

 of fossil shrews or those from owls' pellets. Shrews are 

 peculiar among mammals in having two articular facets upon the 

 condyle (Fig. 23, Nos. i and 3), an upper {s) and a lower one («'), 

 widely separated from each other by a non-articular tract of 

 bone. In Neomys the lower facet (Fig. 23, Nos. 2 and 4), i, is 

 greatly prolonged towards the inner or lingual side, and the 

 non-articular part of the condyle, as seen from behind, is much 

 constricted. In Sorex the lower facet is without the lingual 

 prolongation, and the non-articular part is not constricted. 



The dental formula is probably — 



v4~4 ,i~i J. 2-2 '\-% 



2-2 0-0 '^ i-i' 3-3 -^ 



The dentition (Fig" 24, Nos. i and 2, p. 90) is highly 

 characteristic, but the homologies of the five small teeth 



