34 



NORTH AMERIOANi FAUNA 66 



Unlike most other shrews, the least shrew is gregarious, and may 

 be said to be almost colonial in habits. Jackson (1961, p. 58) says that 

 often when a log, slab, or rock is overturned four to eight or more of 

 these little shrews may be found living together underneath. Maurice 

 K. Brady of Washington, D.C., told Jackson that in Virginia near 

 Washington in 1925 he uncovered a nest of this species which con- 

 tained 25 Gryptotis^ all in a pile. 



Specimens examined. — Allegany County: Oldtown, 9 miles E, 1. 

 Anne Arundel County: Annapolis (vicinity), 2. Baltimore County: 

 Lock Eaven Keservoir, 1. Calvert County: Solomons, 1; Solomons, 

 % mile N, 7. Charles County: Newport, 1. Dorchester County: Black- 

 water National Wildlife Refuge, 1. Montgomery County : Bethesda, 

 1 ; Kensington, 13 ; Poolesville, 1 ; Sandy Spring, 19. Prince Georges 

 Coimty: Laurel, 6; Oxon Hill, 1; Patuxent Research Center, 5. Qu^en 

 Annes County: Parson Island, 1. Worcester County: Ocean City, 4 

 and 5 miles S, 7; Ocean City, 15 miles S, 1; Chincoteague Bay, 2. 

 District of Columbia : 8. 



Other records and reports. — Montgomery County : Seneca (Kilham, 

 1954, p. 252). 



Remarks. — This species is in need of revision over its entire range. 

 Until this revision is completed, all specimens from Marvland are 

 provisionally referred to Cryptotis parva parva. 



Family TALPIDAE (moles) 

 HAIRY-TAILED MOLE 

 Parascalops breweri (Bachman) 



Scalops hreioeri Bachman, Boston Jour. Nat. Hist., 4 : 32, 1842. 



Ty^^ locality. — Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts (there is some question, 

 however, whether this species ever occurred on Martha's Vineyard Island). 



General distribution. — Northeastern United States and adjacent Canada, south 

 in the Appalachians to western North Carolina. 



Distribution in Maryland. — Occurs at higher elevations in the 

 Allegheny Mountain and Ridge and Valley sections. 



Distinguishing characteristics. — Teeth 3/3, 1/1, 4/4, 3/3, = 44; tail 

 short and hairy; coloration dark slate to black dorsally, slightly paler 

 below; pelage soft and thick, but somewhat coarser than in the eastern 

 mole (Scalopus aquaticus) ; palms enlarged and nearly circular in out- 

 line; toes not webbed. 



This species can readily be distinguished from the eastern mole 

 by its hairy tail, and from the star-nosed mole {Condylura cristata) 

 by the absence of nasal projections. 



Measurements. — Jackson (1915 : 80) gives external measurements of 

 eight males from Magnetic City, N.C., as follows : Total length 149.5 



