284 NORTHERN ZOOLOGY. 



ADDENDUM. 



[83.] 2. Condylura macroura. (Harlan.) Thick-Tailed 



Star-Nose. 



Condylura macroura. Harlan, Fauna, p. 39. 



Plate xxiv. 



Since the greater part of the preceding sheets were printed off, Mr. David 

 Douglas has presented me with a specimen of this remarkable animal, procured 

 by him on the banks of the Columbia. Dr. Harlan has described an individual 

 which is preserved in the Philadelphia Museum, but its native locality is not 

 mentioned. Mr. Douglas's specimen possesses all the characters ascribed by 

 Dr. Harlan to his ; and I have, therefore, considered it to belong to the same 

 species. I received no information respecting its habits. 



DESCRIPTION. 



The head is remarkably large ; the body is thick and short, and becomes narrower towards 

 the tail, and the hind legs are consequently nearer to each otber than the fore-ones. The nose 

 is rather thick, and projects beyond the mouth ; it is naked towards its end, is marked with a 

 furrow above, and terminates in a flat surface, which is surrounded by seventeen cartilaginous 

 processes, with two more anterior ones situated above the nostrils, and a pair of forked ones 

 immediately below the nostrils. The surfaces of these processes are minutely granulated. 

 Some white whiskers spring from the side of the nose, and reach about half the length of the 

 head. There are others not so long on the upper and under lips. 



the fur on the body is very soft and fine, and has considerable lustre. It is longer than 

 the fur of the other two known species. Its colour on the dorsal aspect is dark umber-brown, 

 approaching to blackish-brown. On the belly it is pale liver-brown. When the fur is blown 

 aside, it exhibits a shining blackish-gray colour towards its roots. It is longer on the hind- 

 head and neck than on the belly. 



The tail is narrow at its origin, but it suddenly swells to an inch and a half in circum- 

 ference ; it then tapers gradually until it ends in a fine point, formed by a pencil of hairs about 

 half an inch long. It is round, or very slightly compressed, and is covered with scales about as 

 large as those on the feet, and with short, tapering, acute hairs, which do not conceal the 

 scales. The hairs covering the upper surface of the tail are nearly black ; those beneath are 

 of a browner hue. 



The extremities are shaped almost precisely like those of the condylura longicaudata. Only 

 the palms and toes of the fore-feet project beyond the body. The palms are nearly circular, and 



