1855.] A Memoir on the Indian species of Shrews. 35 



ish-brown above, a little tinged rufescent, and with dark greyish 

 underneath; the feet and tail conspicuously furred, besides the 

 scattered long hairs upou the latter. 



Here may be noted, that the Society formerly possessed a speci- 

 men of one of these minute Shrews, which was found in a cellar in 

 Madras, and was presented by Walter Elliot, Esq., Madras 0. S. 

 We formerly considered it identical with S. micronyx ; so that it 

 could scarcely be so with S. melanodon of Bengal : it was, however, 

 darker than S. micronyx ; and more probably S. perotettii (verus), 

 if not distinct from the whole of the foregoing. It is even proba- 

 ble that several more Indian species of these most diminutive of 

 all mammalia remain to be discriminated. Upon minute comparison 

 of five specimens in our museum, taken out of spirit and carefully 

 dried for the occasion, we immediately detected four well-marked 

 species, and presently afterwards obtained the S. melanodon fresh. 

 It may further be remarked, that we once found the nearly digested 

 remains of an adult small white- toothed So rex, rather larger than 

 a common Mouse, in the stomach of an Elanus which was shot on 

 the banks of the Hugli, about 50 miles above Calcutta : but we 

 have since in vain sought to procure the species. 



Another form of white-toothed Shrew, with thick and tapering 

 tail having scattered long hairs upon it, is exemplified by 



Eerocultjs, Kelaart. Teeth small ; the upper quasi-incisors 

 shorter and less strongly hooked than in restricted Sorex, with the 

 posterior spur large ; the lower quasi-incisors serrated, shewing 

 two depressions, and therefore a row of three coronal points : four 

 small upper premolars preceding the camassiez, the two medial 

 being of equal size, the first rather large, and the fourth small. 

 Feet remarkably large. The ear-conch scarcely visible above the fur. 



16. F. macropus : Sorex feroculus, Kelaart ; S. macropus, nobis, 

 J. A. S. XX, 163. Length about 6| in., of which the tail is 2| in. : 

 hind-foot with claws nearly f in. ; the fore-foot J in. broad, with 

 long and but slightly curved claws, that of the middle digit I in. in 

 length. Eur somewhat long and very soft, uniform blackish, verv 

 faintly tinged rufescent ; the extreme tip of the tail naked and of 

 a flesh-colour. Inhabits Ceylon. 



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