10 NORTHERN ZOOLOGY. 
in the plane of the limbs of the jaw, or nearly at a right angle with the planes of the 
incisors. The three posterior lower grinders of each side resemble the upper ones 
reversed, but have no lobe corresponding to the interior one of the upper teeth. They 
rise more above the sockets than the upper grinders do, and they have, as Dr. Godman has 
observed, a considerable resemblance to the grinders of a Bat. In old individuals, all the teeth 
are worn down and have rounded crowns. 
The Shrew-mole has a thick cylindrical body, like that of the Common Mole, without any 
distinct neck. Its limbs are very short, being concealed by the skin of the body nearly down to 
the wrist and ankle-joints, The fore-extremities are situated nearly under the auditory opening. 
The moveable snout is almost linear, and projects about four lines and a half beyond the 
incisors. It is naked towards its extremity, particularly above ; below, it is thinly clothed 
with hairs for about two-thirds of its length next the incisors. There is a conspicuous furrow, 
extending nearly its whole length, on the upper surface ; and, beneath, there is also a 
furrow, reaching half its length from the incisors. Beyond the latter, the snout is transversely 
wrinkled beneath; and its small, flat, or truncated extremity is smooth and callous. The 
small oblong nostrils open in an inclined space, immediately above this circular callous end. 
The eyes are concealed by the fur, and scarcely to be found in the dried specimen*. The 
auditory openings are covered by the fur, and there is no external ear. The tai is thickest 
about one-third from its root, and tapers from thence to its tip, which is acute. It is whitish, 
and is sparingly clothed with short hairs. Its vertebrae are equally four-sided. The fore- 
arm, rather slender, and projecting only about three lines from the body, is, consequently, 
concealed by the far. The five fingers, extremely short, and united to the roots of the nails, 
form, with the wrist, a large, nearly circular palm. The nails of all the fingers are large, 
white, and have a semi-lanceolate form, with narrow, but rather obtuse points. They are 
nearly straight, convex above, and slightly hollowed beneath. The middle one is the largest, 
the others gradually diminish on each side of it, and the exterior one is the smaliest of ail. 
The palms are turned outwards and backwards, and the whole fore-foot bears a close resem- 
blance to that of the Common Mole. The hind-feet are more slender than the fore ones, and 
the nails are one-half shorter, much more compressed, and sharper, and, in fact, nearly subu- 
late. They have a slight curvature laterally corresponding with the direction of the toes 
inwards, and are somewhat arched, but cannot be said to be in any manner hooked. They 
are excavated underneath. The fore and hind feet are thinly clothed above with adpressed, 
pale hairs. The palms and soles are naked, but are bordered posteriorly with white hairs, 
which curve a little over them. . 
The fur has the same velvety appearance with that which clothes the Common Mole, It 
has considerable lustre on the surface; and, in most lights, exhibits a brownish-black tint. 
When blown aside, it shews a greyish-black colour, from the roots to near the tips. It has 
the same colour over the whole body, but there is a slight tinge of chestnut-brown on the 
forehead and about the base of the snout, and on the throat it is shorter and paler. . 
® Dr. Godman informs us, that the aperture in the skin is just big enough to admit an ordinary sized human hair, 
