614 Recent Literature. ; [ October, 
The new subgenera are Soriciscus (subgenus of Blarina), Microsorex and 
Notiosorex (subgenus of Sorex). Four of the new species belong to the 
genus Sorex and the other to Blarina. This paper forms the first gen- 
eral notice of the genera and species of the American moles and shrews 
that has appeared since the publication of Professor Baird’s well-known 
work on the Mammals of North America, in 1857 — twenty years ago. 
Much material has in the meantime accumulated, which shows that the 
number of species then admitted “ require to be largely reduced,” while 
others must be added, based on material since collected; but all the ge- 
neric and subgeneric distinctions pointed out by Professor Baird “are 
confirmed.” In 1861, according to Dr. Coues, Professor Baird again 
reviewed the subject, “ making new and important determinations, which, 
however, have never been published.” Many of these are inedited 
from Professor Baird’s MSS. 
In these “ Notes,” which are “to be considered as preliminary to a 
monograph of the American Insectivora, now in preparation,” Dr. Coues 
recognizes four genera of moles ( Talpidæ), namely Scalops, Scapanus, 
Condylura, and Urotrichus ; the last common to Western North America 
and Asia, the others strictly American. These are each represented by 
a single species, except Scapanus, which has two, the one (S. Breweri) 
eastern, the other (S. Townsendi) western. The Scalops argentatus of 
Audubon and Bachman (and also of Baird) is considered as merely a 
geographical race of the common eastern S. aquaticus. 
Of the shrews (Soricide), no formal list of species is given, but the 
genera and subgenera are discussed and characterized in detail, and their 
distribution is quite fully indicated. The genera and subgenera recog- 
nized are as follows: 1. Neosorea ; 2, Sorex, embracing subgenera, (a) 
Sorex, (b) Microsorex (Baird, MSS.) (e) Notiosorex (Baird, MSS.); 3. 
Blarina, embracing the subgenera (a) Blarina, (b) Soriciscus (Coues). 
The genus Sorex alone occurs in the higher latitudes, where it is mainly 
represented by the subgenera Sorex and Microsorex, the latter having 
been recently ascertained to extend to the region of the Yukon River. 
Tn the high north the species are few, but the individuals are numerous, 
being comparable in point of number with the arvicolas and lemmings. 
Sorex proper occurs also throughout the whole of the United States, and is 
represented farther southward, in Mexico and Central American, by 
Coues’s new subgenus Notiosorer. Near the northern boundary of the 
United States the species of shrews greatly increase in number ; ae 
we first meet with the genera Neosorex and Blarina, the latter being . x 
most characteristic American genus of the family. Veosorex occuples { 
belt across the middle of the continent, from Nova Scotia and New ie 
land to Oregon and Washington Territory, and extends southwa oe 
the Rocky Mountains to New Mexico, Blarina extends far southw á 
but is represented in Mexico and Central America by only the anap 
Soriciscus, and has not yet been met with west of the Rocky Mons ; 
