SOREX MARIQUENSIS. — Smith. 
Mammalia. — Plate XLIY. Fig. 1. 
S. supcrnc brunneo-ruber ; inferne pallidior et griseo-tinctus ; villo versus pellem griseo-nigro ; cauda 
cylindracea, ad basin obessa, versus apicem attenuata ; auribus semicircularibus, fere nudis ; villo 
rigido. 
Lon'Gitudo e rostri apice ad basin caudse 3 unc. 4* lin. ; caudte 1 unc. 10 lin. 
Colour. The surface colour of the head, back, sides, extremities, and tail 
brownish red, the head and tail lightest ; the throat, breast, and belly the 
same colour, only lighter and with a distinct tint of pearly grey. Colour of 
under surface light greyish black. The thin sprinkling of fur which occurs 
on the anterior surface of ears the same colour as that of the back. Whiskers 
greyish black. Incisor teeth white ; naked extremity of snout purplish black; 
claws brownish red. 
Form, &c.— Figure slender, and tapered both anteriorly and posteriorly. 
Head small and terminated by a short slender somewhat cylindrical snout 
which anteriorly is slightly bifurcate, and with a small cylindrical nostril in 
each division. Eyes small, and rather nearer to the ears than the apex of 
snout. Ears moderately large, semicircular, and their anterior surface 
sprinkled with only a fine short hair, the meatus auditorius externus covered by 
the recumbent fur of the parts in front of it, and also by that which edges the 
lower lobe of the ear. Tail cylindrical, thick at its base and tapered towards 
the point, the latter with a delicate pencil of rigid hairs. Extremities short 
and slender ; toes of fore feet short, the three middle ones nearly equal and 
rather longest ; those of hinder feet longer, particularly the middle ones. 
DIMENSIONS. 
In. Lines. 
Length from tip of nose to base of 
tail 3 4 
Length of the tail 
In. Lines. 
Distance between the tip of the nose 
and the eye 0 5 
Height when standing 1 3 
The only specimens of this species I have seen, two in number, were obtained in a wooded 
ravine near the tropic of Capricorn, and when discovered they sought concealment under some 
decayed leaves which were accumulated under a small shrub. 
