SOREX VARIES.- Smuts. 
Mammalia. — Plate XLIV. Fig. 2. 
S. superne griseus rufo-tinctus ; inferne griseus, pallide rufo-tinctus ; rostro ad basin valido, versus 
apicem attenuato ; auribus fere in villo abditis ; cauda cylindracea fere a; quale, crinibus rigidis tecta ; 
villo mollissimo et subcrispo. 
Longittjdo e rostri apice ad basin caudee 3 unc. 10 lin. ; caudse 1 unc. 10 lin. 
Sorex varius, Smuts. Diss. Zool. enumer Mamm. Cap. p. 108, Leyden, 1832. 
Colour. — The outer surface of the head, back, and sides finely pencilled 
yellowish brown and pearl grey, the colours so finely blended as to appear 
a sort of rusty silvery grey ; the lower portion of the sides, the chin, 
throat, belly, and extremities towards body rusty ash-grey. Lower portions 
of extremities and tail wood-brown, the latter tinted with yellowish brown. 
The fur inside of the surface intermediate between lavender-purple and greyish 
black. Edges of upper lip and under surface of snout dirty white ; incisor 
teeth white. The proportion of yellowish brown varies in different specimens 
and in those in which it is most abundant the grey tint is but faint. 
Form, &c. — Figure slender. Head small, snout rather robust, its point bare 
and anteriorly slightly bifurcate, with a small circular nostril in each division 
with elevated edges. Ears semicircular and almost concealed in fur, a part 
of which exists on the anterior surface of the ears themselves. Tail cylindrical 
and with a delicate pencil of rigid hairs at its extremity, elsewhere it is coated 
with short strong hairs. Extremities slender and short. Claws of fore feet 
rather long, and only slightly curved. Incisors of upper jaw strongly arched 
downwards from base, those of lower jaw horizontal till near the point, which 
is slightly bent upwards and received within the upper jaw. Fur long, soft, and 
cottony on the body, shorter on the head, and very short on the snout and tail, 
where it approaches in character to hair. On the head and body it is slightly' 
frizzled. 
DIMENSIONS. 
Inches. Lines. 
Length from point of nose to base of 
tail 3 10 
of tail i jo 
Inches . Lines. 
Distance between the tip of the nose 
and the eyes 0 
Height when standing 1 10 
Inhabits the southern and eastern parts of the Cape Colony, and is usually found where 
brushwood exists in abundance. 
