of ihe Genus Condylura. 



581 



culiar to itself; that it cannot be united either with the Talpas 

 or Sorices^ but holds an intermediate rank between these two 

 tribes or families. In its form and habits, it has an affinity to 

 the former, while its teeth closely resemble those of the latter. 

 It is arranged in the family Soricii and genus Scalops by the 

 author of the article " Mazology," in Brewster's Encyclo- 

 paedia. 



The SoREX cristatus, with another animal of the same ge- 

 nus recently detected in Maine, might, with propriety, consti- 

 tute a new family with the following characters. 



Upper and lower jaw each with twenty teeth ; four inci- 

 sors only in the lower jaw ; nostrils carunculated ; tail scaly, 

 of moderate length ; feet with five claws, the anterior ones 

 broad, and formed for digging in the earth; the hind feet 

 elongated, slender ; eyes minute ; and no external ears.* 



The animals of this family, like the moles and shrew-mice, 

 burrow in the ground, and live upon insects. 



In March, 1825, a small animal was discovered, near Ma- 

 chias, in the state of Maine, which exhibits the characteristics 

 of the genus Condyluua, but which is evidently distinct from 

 C. cristata^ the type of that genus. These animals both 

 have, in the upper jaw, six incisors implanted in the pras- 

 maxilary bone, the two intermediate ones large, their cutting 

 edge oblique ; the adjoining incisors resembling long canine 

 teeth, slightly triangular at base, where are situated two mi- 

 nute tubercles ; each external incisor isolated, very small, 

 conic, and pointing backwards. Seven molares on each side; 

 the three first resembling canine teeth, and may be consid- 

 ered as false molares ; they are smaller than the true mola- 

 res, are isolated, with two minute lobes at base. The four 

 posterior molares large, formed of two layers of enamel, fur- 

 rowed externally, and tuberculated within. 



The palate has seven transverse ridges between the inci- 

 sors and the first two molares. 



Lower jaw with four, flattened and projecting incisors ; five 

 false molares, separated from each other, the first the largest, 

 and each of them with three or four small lobes ; three true 

 molares, composed of two layers of enamel, channelled within, 

 and tuberculated on the outside. 



♦ The essential characters of the Shrew-mice, or Soricesj are, six or eight 

 cutting teeth in each jaw, the intermediate ones the longest ; tail and exter- 

 nal ears sometimes wanting. 



The family of the Moles, or TalpcB, is characterized by having twenty- two 

 teeth in each jaw; six incisors in the upper and eight in the lower jaw, 

 equal to each other ; no external ears ; tail very short ; eyes and feet as in 

 the CondyluriE. 



