362 Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. [No. 4. 



even another in Japan (besides also Gr. vulgaris), — the Gr. monacha 

 of Temminck.* 



We may also here notice, that we have received from Eobt. F. Tomes, 

 Esq., of Welford (near Stratford-on-Avon), a large number of most care- 

 fully taken descriptions of the specimens of Indian Bats and Shrews in 

 the British Museum and that of the Hon'ble E. I. Company in London ; 

 the actual specimens upon which Dr. Horsfield and Dr. J. E. Gray have 

 founded and named sundry species. As regards the Shrews, Mr. Tomes 

 has independently arrived at several conclusions identical with those 

 expressed in the Memoir on the Indian species of Shrew, published ante, 

 p. 24 et seq. : and, with reference to the Crossopus himalaticus, Gray 

 (p. 37 ante), he writes — " The specimen has the same dentition as Sorex 

 c^ERULESCENs ; but the teeth appear to me to have been pushed into the 

 mouth from the outside, and no doubt belong to some other animal, — the 

 skull having been removed, and these teeth introduced to conceal it [!] 

 It is a good species ; and, I think, has the tail ciliated, but having been 

 slit up along the under-part by the skinner, it is difficult to determine." 

 He also remarks that " Sorex caudatus, Hodgson, is certainly very 

 closely allied to S. alpinus of Europe, if not identical with it 5 ' (vide also 

 p. 37 ante). Our Soriculus (p. 36) is probably identical with Blaria, 

 Gray. Mr. Tomes believes S. c^rtjlescens and 8. indicus to be " of 

 one species. S. murinus," he adds, " is also very nearly allied, but has 

 the fur much longer and of a much browner colour, and it looks coarser. 

 S. Griffithii" (apparently murinus apud nos, not the Malayan murinus), 

 "' is evidently distinct, having a totally different kind of fur, larger teeth, 

 and different dimensions. S. niger of Elliot is a miniature of V. Grif- 

 fithii, but with a long and slender tail. All of these are of the same 

 type as S. C2erulescens." f 



* For a Conspectus of the species of Crane, vide the Prince of Canino in the 

 Comptes Rendus, XL, 720 (April 2nd, 1855). 



f The following is a new species of typical Sorex, recently received from Capt. 

 Berdraore, of Schwe Gyen, Pegu. 



S. fuliginosus, nobis. Length of adult female (taken out of spirit) 5£ in., of 

 which tail 1\ in. : foot plus | in. Skull exactly 1 in. long, and T 7 ^ in. in greatest 

 diameter : length of series of upper teeth T 7 g ; and breadth of palate £ in. Soles 

 bare to the heel. Tail with seventeen vertebrae, and perhaps a minute eighteenth 

 at tip ; the scattered long hairs upon the tail small and fine. Fur dense, porrect, 

 somewhat velvety ; dark slaty at base, the rest fuliginous-brown, with inconspi- 

 cuous dull hoary tips: beneath scarcely (if at all) paler. A second specimen merely 

 differs in having a trifle smaller. 



