22 



NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 66 



by the fact that both have been taken in the same field in central 

 Indiana. 



In all probability Sorex cinerem will eventually be found to be a 

 resident of the southern portion of the Western Shore section, and 

 S. longirostris may be distributed through more of the Piedmont and 

 northern Western Shore section than is currently indicated. 



(WATER SHREW) 



Sorex palustris punctulatus Hooper 



Sorex palustris punctulatus Hooper, Occas. Papers Mus. Zool. Univ. 

 Mich., 463 : 1, 15 September 1942. 



Type locality. — West Virginia, Randolph County, 6 miles northwest of Dnrbin, 

 Shavers Fork of the Cheat River, 3,600 feet elevation. 



General distribution. — "Allegheny Mountains of eastern West Virginia, and 

 probably also of southwestern Pennsylvania, western Maryland, and northwestern 

 Virginia." (Hooper, 1942, p. 1). 



Distribution in Maryland. — Not recorded for the State, but undoubt- 

 edly occurs in the higher elevations of the Allegheny Mountain section. 



Distinguishing characteristics. — Largest of all the eastern long- 

 tailed shrews; hind feet large, and with a fringe of stiff hairs; third 

 and fourth hind toes joined by thin web at the base for slightly more 

 than half their length; grizzled coloration on upper parts, and pale 

 gray underparts in winter pelage; tail markedly bicolored. Tooth 

 formula as in Sorex cinereus, but third unicuspid smaller than fourth. 

 This is an amphibious species, well adapted for an aquatic life. 



Measurements. — Hooper (1942) gives some measurements of the 

 type and two paratypes (from Eandolph and Preston Counties, 

 W. Va.) as follows: Total length 152, 153, 155; tail 64, 70, Yl; hind 



foot 19, 20, 20; condylobasal length of skull 21.1, 21.2, , cranial 



breadth 10.6, 10.3, ; interorbital breadth 3.9, 3.8, 3.9; maxillary 



breadth 6.5, 6.4, 6.5 ; maxillary toothrow 7.9, 8.0, 8.1. 



Habitat and habits. — This species prefers very wet areas along the 

 borders of streams, lakes, and ponds. Often it is found in marshes 

 and bogs, and in beaver and muskrat houses, particularly in winter. 

 It favors heavily wooded areas and is rarely found in marshes that 

 are devoid of bushes or trees. According to Hooper (1942), the type 

 specimen of the subspecies punctulatus was collected under a log at 

 the base of a yellow birch sapling, in a forest of spruce, hemlock, yel- 

 low birch, maple, and beech, about 100 yards from Shavers Fork, the 

 nearest body of water. The paratypes were taken at the edge of streams 

 feeding or draining spruce swamps, one specimen among bracken, 

 rhododendron, and hemlock, the other among sedges, rushes, willow, 

 and spruce. There are many areas similar to this in Garret County 



