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JOUKNAL OF MAMMALOGY 
collection of Mr. Donald R. Dickey, Pasadena, California. The rather 
flat and narrow skull of Sorex o. parvidens, combined with its weak 
dentition, distinguish it from other forms of the species ohscurus. 
Sorex pacificus sonomae subsp. nov.^ 
SONOMA SHREW 
Type-specimen, — No. 19,658, Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of 
California; cfadult (teeth moderately worn), skin and skeleton; collected July 2, 
1913, by Alfred C. Shelton. Original number 227. 
Type-locality. — Sonoma County side of Gualala River, Gualala, California. 
Geographic range, — Coast region of California from Point Arena, Mendocino 
County, south to Point Reyes, Marin County. 
Diagnostic characters. — Similar to Sorex pacificus pacificus but averaging 
smaller, and a trifle darker and less reddish in summer pelage. 
Color. — Winter pelage: Essentially like that of Sorex p. pacificus. Summer 
pelage: Averaging somewhat darker and less reddish than that of S. p. pacificus; 
scarcely more reddish or cinnamon than in winter pelage. Upperparts mummy 
brown or fuscous, the color of the upperparts extending well down over the sides; 
underparts between olive-brown and buffy brown, tending toward sepia; tail 
essentially unicolor, about same color as underparts. 
Skull. — Similar to that of Sorex pacificus pacificus, but averaging smaller. 
Measurements. — Type-specimen: total length, 133; tail vertebrae, 59; hind foot, 
16. Skull of type-specimen: condylobasal length, 21.1; palatal length, 8.9; 
breadth of cranium, 10.3; interorbital breadth, 4.5; maxillary breadth, 6.3; max- 
illary tooth row, 8.1. 
Remarks. — The southern form of Sorex pacificus, here described 
under the subspecific name sonomce, is separable from true pacificus 
only in average differences of size and color. There are occasionally 
small specimens of the subspecies pacificus which match fairly well 
the larger specimens of sonomoe. On the whole, however, the differ- 
ences are clearly marked. 
U. S. Biological Survey, Washington, D. C. 
^ I am indebted to Dr. Joseph Grinnell, Director of the Museum of Vertebrate 
Zoology, University of California, for the privilege of describing this shrew from 
the collection under his administration. 
