﻿Dec, 1895.] 



SOREX PERSONATUS. 



56 



canine may be exactly the same size, or the latter slightly the smaller. 

 The fonrth incisor, howeyer^ is very rarely smaller than the canine (cf. 

 IS. longirosiris). Occasionally the second incisor is the largest, the three 

 succeeding teeth each slightly and uniformly smaller than the one before. 

 Again, the second and third incisors may be equal and considerably 

 larger than the fourth incisor or the canine, which in tneir turn are 

 of approximately equal size. 



The unicuspid teeth are usually about as broad as deep when viewed 

 in profile (PL iV, figs. 5, 6, and 7). Occasionally, however, they are 

 distinctly deeper than broad, and the whole row of unicuspids is a 

 little shortened (PL lY, fig. 1). These differences ai)pear to be in no 

 way correlated with geographic distribution, specimens Avith the nar- 

 row, deep teeth occurring at Montauk Point, ^ew York, Poan Moun- 

 tain, Xorth Caroliiia, and South Edmonton, Alberta. The cusps and 

 ridges on the teeth of Sorex perHonatus are moderately tipped with light 

 reddish brown. This brown tipping is variable both in extent and in 

 depth of color (cL fig. 1 with figs, 5, G, and 7, PL lY). Like the varia- 

 tions in form of the nnicuspid teeth, the character of the pigmentation 

 is a purely individual matter. 



Measuyements. — Twelve adults from Nantucket Island, Massachu- 

 setts, average: Length, 100.8 mm.; tail vertebrre, 38. G mm.; hind foot, 

 12.2 mm. Four specimens from North Truro, Mass., average. Length, 

 97.2 mm.; tail vertebne, 37.2 mm.; hind foot, 11.35 mm. Two males 

 from ]Mount Washington, New Hampshire (5,300 feet) : Length, 105 

 mm. ; tail vertebr;e, 11 mm. ; hind foot, 12,8 mm. ; and, length, 106 mm. ; 

 tail vertebrie, 41.1 mm.; hind foot, ll.G mm. Six specimens from 

 Steele County, Miim., average: Length, 87.5 mm.; tail vertebrae, 33.5 

 mm.; hind foot, 11.1 mm. Two males from South Edmonton, Alberta, 

 measure, respectively: Length, 91 mm.; tail vertebrae, 37 mm.; hind 

 foot, 11 mm.; and length, 92 mm.; tail vertebrjie, 36 mm.; hind foot, 

 11 mm. 



General remar]:s.— Among the Shrews of the eastern United States 

 Sorex personatus is distinguished by its small size from all but ^. longi- 

 rosiris and S. lioyu From both of these it differs so widely in cranial 

 characters that no detailed comparison is needed. 



In color average ISorex personatus are exactly like two English speci- 

 mens of S. minufus, but I have seen too few skins of the latter to know 

 whether this remarkable agreement is constant. Sorex m inutus is readily 

 distinguished from S. personatus by its very large fifth unicuspid tooth. 



Sorex personatus varies considerably in color, winter specimens 

 usually being darker and more strongly tinged with chestnut than 

 those taken in midsummer. Sometimes there is a faint line of demar- 

 cation between the darker chestnut-tinged sepia of the back and the 

 clear paler sepia of the sides, the latter again shading abruptly into 

 the color of the belly. The color pattern so produced is similar to 

 that of *S'. araneus and S. rlGhardsoni, but is never so striking and well 



