582 



Dr Harris on a nondescript Species 



Proboscis elongate, extensile ; the nasal extremity naked, 

 and bordered with about twenty cartilaginous, acuminated 

 processes, disposed in a circle, the two superior ones united 

 at the base, longer than the others, and situated a little in 

 advance of them. 



Neck indistinct ; legs short, the hind ones placed far back ; 

 feet five toed, the anterior ones very broad and scaly, with a 

 series of curved hairs on the external edge ; the nails long 

 and straight. The hind feet a third longer than the fore 

 feet, scaly, narrow, with a warty excrescence on the inner 

 part of the tarsus ; nails slightly curved and short. Tail 

 scaly, and thinly covered with coarse hairs. Eyes minute. 

 No external ears. 



The species from Maine appears to be a nondescript, and 

 may therefore receive the name of prasinata. It is clothed 

 with a long and very fine fur of a green colour, with a few 

 grey hairs at the extremity of the tail. The nose is naked, 

 the caruncles which surround it in a stellate manner are 

 twenty two in number, and of a brownish hue. The eyes are 

 exceedingly minute, and are entirely concealed by the fur. 

 The fore feet greatly resemble hands; the palms are covered 

 with a thick cuticle, and on the inside of each of the fingers, 

 near their origin, are three triangular acuminated scales, or 

 cuticular processes. A large, rounded, warty excrescence 

 is situated midway, on the inner and lower part of the foot. 

 The specimen was a male. The tail nearly three quarters 

 the length of the body, very small, or strangulated at its in- 

 sertion, becoming abruptly very large, and gradually taper- 

 ing towards the extremity. The caudal vertebras were not 

 distinguishable through the mass of fat with which they were 

 enveloped, and of which the tail was principally composed. 

 There were no transverse folds or ridges on the tail, its sur- 

 face being perfectly uniform, nor were the hairs disposed in 

 distinct whorls. The tail of this species, therefore differs es- 

 sentially from that of the cristata, as described by authors, 

 and induces us to wish that Desmarest had changed the name 

 of the genus for some one more expressive of the species 

 which compose it. 



Length of the male Condylura prasinata, from the end of 

 the snout to the origin of the tail four and a half inches. 

 Length of the tail three inches. Circumference of the body 

 three inches and three quarters. Circumference of the tail, 

 at the largest part, one and a half inch. Average length of 

 the nasal radii five twentieths of an inch. Length of the 



