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NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA. 



[No. 10. 



Color. — Upper parts dark fuliginous or dusky, faintly grizzled with 

 brownish; sides pale dull brownish; under -parts buft'y whitish; tail 

 blackish above, whitish below, becoming darker toward the tip. There 

 is no trace of plumbeous in the fuliginous of the back, which is finely 

 grizzled by a slight admixture of brownish hairs similar to those of 

 the sides. The two specimens from the type locality are distinctly tri- 

 color, though less markedly so than >S'. richardsoni^ to which very differ- 

 ent species amoenus bears a superficial likeness. 



Cranial and dental characters, — As in S. vagrans. 



Measurements. — Average of 2 specimens from type locality: Total 

 length, 103 mm.; tail vertebrae, 37 mm.; hind foot, 12.3 mm. Average 

 of 5 specimens from Carberry ranch, near summit of Sierra Nevada, 

 Shasta County, Calif. : Total length, 104 mm. ; tail vertebrae, 39 mm. ; 

 hind foot, 12.3 mm. 



General remarlcs. — This handsome Shrew may be known at a glance 

 by its short tail and peculiar color. This color may be in part seasonal, 

 as specimens from a point farther north in the Sierra Nevada (Carberry 

 ranch) vary from nearly as dark as typical amoenus to ashy brown. 

 Inter gradation with vagrans may occur in northern Cahfornia or south- 

 ern Oregon. A female caught by Mr. Nelson at the type locality July 22, 

 1891, contained 9 embryos. 



SOREX YANCOUVERENSIS sp. uov. 



Type from Goldstream, Vancouver Island, Britisli Columbia. Type, No. 71913, $ ad., 

 U. S, Nat. Mus., Department of Agriculture collection. Collected May 10, 1895, 

 by Clark P. Streator. Original number, 4592. 



General characters. — Similar to >8'. vagrans^ but larger, with decidedly 

 larger forefeet and much darker coloration. 



Color. — Upper parts finely mixed dusky and sepia brown, the dusky 

 prevailing on the back, the sepia brown on the sides, where it forms 

 an indistinct band; under parts plumbeous, lightly tipped with ash 

 and irregularly washed (in type specimen) with rusty, which may be 

 due to staining. Tail very dark brown, becoming almost dusky all 

 round near tip ; paler below on basal half. 



Cranial and dental characters. — Skull and teeth similar to those of 

 S. vagrans; molariform teeth a little smaller, though the difference is 

 slight. 



Measurements (of type specimen, in flesh). — Total length, 110 mm. ; tail 

 vertebrae, 43 mm.; hind foot, 12 mm. 



General remarks. — In external appearance Sorex vancouverensis differs 

 conspicuously from its nearest relative, S. vagrans., being of a very dif- 

 ferent color and having larger feet; but In cranial and dental characters 

 the two are practically indistinguishable. ■ 



