﻿26 



NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA. 



[No. 10. 



BLARINA MEXICANA MACHETES siibsp. nov. Ozolotepec Blarina. 



T(/jje from mountains near Ozolotepec, Oaxaca (altitude, 10.000 feet). No. 71456, $ 

 ad,, U. S. Nat. Miis., Department of Agriculture collection. Collected March 26, 

 1895, by E. ^Y. Nelson and E. A. Goldman. Original number, 7723. 



General characters. — Similar to B. mexicana in color and general 

 appearance, but somewliat larger, with decidedly larger fore and hind 

 feet, and peculiar dental characters. 



Color. — Dusky or sooty black; bridge of nose darker than rest of 

 face; under parts dark in fresh pelage, but more or less ashy in old 

 pelage. 



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

 slightly larger; brain case less elevated above slope of rostrum: uui- 

 cuspids with inner cusplet smaller and not chestnut tipped ; large upper 

 premolar longer, broader, and more excavated posteriorly, with antero- 

 internal angle and cusf) less developed; molars larger and more con- 

 cave behind; lower molars larger. 



Measurements (taken in flesh). — Type: Total length, 104 mm.; tail 

 vertebrae, 31 mm.; hind foot, 15 mm. Average measurements of 7 

 specimens from type locality: Total length, 108 mm.; tail vertebme, 

 30.5 mm. ; hind foot, 15 mm. 



General remarls. — This is a well-marked form of the mexicana series, 

 and it comes from the southernmost locality from which any member of 

 the group has thus far been obtained. Mr. Nelson found it among 

 willows in a cold boggy place in the woods, on the north slope of the 

 mountains, at an altitude of 10,000 feet, where its runways were con- 

 spicuous and where 7 specimens were obtained. 



BLARINA NELSONI sp. nov. Nelson's Blarina. 



Tyj^e from Volcano of Tuxtla, Vera Cruz, Mexico (altitude, 4,800 feet). No. 65437, 

 ad., U. S. Nat. Mus., Department of Agriculture collection. Collected May 13, 

 1894, br E. W. Nelson and E. A. Goldman. Original number, 6253. 



General characters. — Similar to B. mexicana in size, general appear- 

 ance, and color, perhaps even darker; differs in important cranial and 

 dental characters. 



Color. — Uniform sooty brown. 



Cranial and dental characters. — Compared with B. mexicana the skull 

 is larger and heavier; brain case larger, flatter, and not abruptly ele- 

 vated above plane of slope of rostrum; interpterygoid fossa much 

 broader. Molariform teeth decidedly broader and heavier; large upper 

 premolar very broad posteriorlj^, but not excavated, its antero-internal 

 angle and cusi^ well developed and followed by a sulcus, behind which 

 the tooth immediately broadens. Unicuspidate teeth with inner cusj)- 

 let nearly obsolete. In some respects the skull resembles alticola more 

 than mexicana; it differs conspicuously from both in the broad and short 

 interpterygoid notch. The upper molariform teeth differ from those of 



