250 CALIFORNIA MAMMALS. 



by the microscopic examination of the teeth, and to add to the 

 difficulty these change their shape with wear. 



Sorex vagrans Baird. (Wandering.) 



WANDERING SHREW. 



Above dark brown, varying to almost russet; below ashy; 

 tail dusky above, pale below ; third upper unicuspid tooth smaller 

 than fourth, fifth smaller than third. 



Type locality, Shoalwater Bay, Washington. 



Wandering Shrews are found from British Columbia south 

 to the northern or probably tO' the central Sierra Nevada, and 

 along the coast to San Diego. They are found in the Transi- 

 tion and lower part of the Boreal Zones. They are rare along 

 the southern coast, but do occur in the salt marshes around tide- 

 water bays. Three Shrews caught on Lytle Creek, San Gabriel 

 Mountains, Sam Bernardino County, seem to be Wandering 

 Shrews, but they are very light colored, grayish sepia or hair 

 brown. I caught them all in July; therefore they must be in 

 summer pelage. They were caught in mice traps set in meadow 

 mice runways, in grass among willows in a cool springy place, 

 alt. 3200 feet. 



Sorex amoenus Merriam. (Attractive.) 



SIER'RA NEVADA SHREW. 



Similar to vagrans; tail shorter ; above dark sepia or dusky ; 

 sides paler with a gray tinge; belowi grayish white or buffy 

 white ; tail dark brown or dusky above, whitish below ; skull and 

 teeth similar to vagrans. 



Length about 102 mm. (4 inches) ; tail vertebrae 38 ( 1.50) ; 

 hind foot 12.30 (.50). 



Type locality, Mammoth Pass, bead of 0^ven River, Cali- 

 fornia. 



Higher parts of the Sierra Nevada. They frequent wet 



