Miller. I 182 |F^'''-7, 
Lanius borealis 9 are called respectively ''ash-colored" and "asli- 
gray."* Since we know that these descriptions were for the most 
part drawn up by Richardson (see Swainson, On the nat. hist. 
and classif. of birds, v. 1, p. 218, 1836), it is safe to assume 
that the terms were used in a like manner in the first volume of 
the same work. Now, the belly of either of the birds just 
mentioned is very many shades lighter than the corresponding 
surface of Sorex albibarbis. Moreover the plate of "Ash-Grey," 
no. 9, in ''Werner's Nomenclature by Syme," the standard used 
in the second volume of the Fauna Boreaii- Americana, indicates 
a color quite unlike that of the belly of S'orhx albibarbis. In 
Richardson's statements concerning the size of his Sorex palustris 
we find nothing satisfactory, since the measurements were taken 
from a prepared specimen. The hind foot is given as 9 lines ( = 
19 mm.). This is within the Umits of S. albibarbis. The other 
cliaracters mentioned by Richardson are so general as to be of no 
use in the present connection. This animal is said to occur in 
marshy places from Hudson Bay to the Rocky Mountains. 
Turnino- now to other evidence we find that both Audubon and 
Dobson have published figures of the type specimen of Sorex 
palustris, the former representing the external appearance of the 
animal, the latter the teeth. Audubon's ])late shows a distinctly 
bicolored shrew, the belly being almost white, in striking contrast 
with the black back, thus very different in ajipearance from S. 
albibarbis. On the other hand, Dobson's figure of the teeth 
(Monogr. Insect., part 3, fasc. 1, jd. 23, fig. 18) agrees in most 
respects with the specimens from New Hampshire anil New 
York. 
On the Pacific coast, in the Rocky Mountains, and in northern 
Minnesota occur marsh shrews whose color differs stril<ingly 
from that of specimens from the eastern states. These shrews 
(whether there is more than one species I am not prepared to 
say) are strongly bicolored, with nearly black backs, and bellies 
almost white. Two specimens from Elk River, Minnesota, are, 
through the kindness of Dr. C. Hart Merriam, now before me. 
As these agree perfectly with Richardson's description of Sorex 
palustris and with Audubon's plate of the type specimen of that 
species, and, moreover, as Elk River is very nearly within the 
limits of the range of *S^. palustris as given in the original diag- 
nosis, I have little hesitation in referring them to Richardson's 
