﻿Dec, 1895.] 



BLARINA ALTICOLA. 



27 



the aUicola series iu lacking tlie posterior excavation. The obsoles- 

 cence of the inner cusplet of the nnicuspids is even more complete 

 than in alticola. 



Measurements (taken in flesh).— Type: Total length, 110 mm.; tail 

 vertebrne, 31 mm.; hind foot, 11 mm. Average measurements of 11 

 specimens from type locality: Total length, 106 mm.; tail vertebrie, 

 29 mm,; hind foot, 13.3 mm. 



• General remarks. — The peculiarities of Blariiut nvlsoni may be briefly 

 summed up as follows : In external appearance it is hardly distinguish- 

 able from B. mexicana; the skull is larger and more closely resembles 

 B. alticola, but differs from both in the remarkably broad and short 

 postpalatal notch; the molariform teeth resemble those of mexicana, 

 while the unicnspidate teeth resemble those of alticola. So far as 

 known, the species is restricted to the isolated volcano of Tuxtla, 

 where Mr. Nelson secured a dozen specimens. Mr. Nelson states that 

 it is common in the forest on the mountain and ranges ux) to the extreme 

 summit, at an altitude of 5,400 feet. Like most of the other species, it 

 makes trails or rnnways under the shelter of roots and logs. 



BLARINA ALTICOLA sp. nov. Popocatepetl Blarina. 



Tijjje from Mount Popocatepetl, Mexico (altitude, 11,500 feet). No. 52047, ^ ad., U. S. 

 Nat. Mus., Department of Agriculture collection. Collected February 25, 1893, by 

 E. W. Nelson. Original number, 4396. 



, Geographic distribution. — Higher slopes of Mount Popocatepetl and 

 the mountains near Salazar and Ajusco, south of the City of Mexico 

 (from 9,500 to 12,000 feet altitude). 



General characters. — Size, medium, slightly larger than the mexicana 

 group; hind foot decidedly larger than that of mexicana or any other 

 Mexican species except magna. 



Color. — Sooty plumbeous, decidedly paler on the belly, but without 

 line of demarcation. 



Cranial and dental characters. — Skull similar to that of mexicana, but 

 somewhat larger ; brain case narrower and less sharply angular later- 

 ally. Molariform teeth much larger and much more deeply excavated 

 posteriorly, especially the large upper premolar, which tooth has the 

 antero-internal angle and cusp strongly developed; unicnspidate teeth 

 with thicker and blunter crowns. 



Measurements (taken in flesh).— Type: Total length, 107 mm.; tail 

 vertebrae, 26 mm.; hind foot, 15 mm. Average measurements of 5 

 specimens from type locality: Total length, 104 mm.; tail vertebrne, 

 26 mm.; hind foot, 15 mm. 



General remarl's.— This species is very distinct from any thus far dis- 

 covered except the B. fossor here described, which is closely related. 

 Externally it resembles Blarina hrevicauda of the United States, but is 

 smaller. It differs from the mexicana series in larger size, much larger 

 hind foot, and in the dental characters just mentioned. It is a high 



