MAMMALS—SORICINAE—SOREX VAGRANS. 
17 
There are three specimens of this species from Petaluma, California, in the collection of Mr. 
Samuels, which hear evident marks of immaturity, although they have nearly attained to their 
full size. The teeth were all covered by a membrane, which, however, on being taken off, 
exhibited the dentition complete in every particular, (32 teeth,) and all more or less dark colored 
at the tip. As illustrating more fully the characters of the species from better preserved 
specimens than those above described, I shall proceed to give a detailed description. 
The form of these specimens is more mouse-like than usual, owing to the large feet and tail, 
the rather short head and the full body. The naked muffle is unusually broad, and slightly 
divided medially by a furrow. The muzzle is broader than usual, depressed ; the eye rather 
large, distinctly visible, and nearer the muzzle than the ear. The ear is concealed by the fur, 
and is much shorter than usual; the antitragus large, valvular, and with the valvular helix 
naked, except on the edges; the concha is covered with hair on the margins and posteriorly. 
The tail (vertebras) is about as long as the body, exclusive of the head; it is thick, cylindri¬ 
cal, but little narrower at the base, and densely covered with hairs, so as nearly to conceal the 
annuli ; it is terminated by a scant pencil. 
The fur is short, but soft and full; it measures about 0.18 of an inch on the back. 
The feet are unusually large and broad for the species of this section, more so, in fact, than 
in full grown specimens. The two pairs are of about equal width ; well covered above by long 
silky bristles, which form a distinct fringe on the outer edge of the palms. The soles are 
tubercular and naked, though the hinder part of the heel is covered with short hairs, except 
along a narrow line. There are, as usual, six larger tubercles among the smaller ones. 
The color above is a light clove brown, with a very slight tinge of chestnut or cinnamon. 
The hairs are very lustrous, and there is an intermixture of hoary, caused probably by stronger 
reflections in particular hairs. The under parts are grayish, lighter than above, the gradation 
rather insensible. The tail is dusky at the tip, and rather lighter below; the feet also are 
rather pale, especially on their inner portions. 
The skull is large and broad, with less attenuation than usual. The dentition embraces 32 
teeth. The anterior upper incisor is much curved, with a basal hook, which is narrow and acute, 
nearly as long but narrower than the first and second premolars. The third premolar is only 
about half the size of the fourth, which is a little less than the first two. The fifth is, as 
usual, diminutive, but distinctly visible in the diastema between the molars and premolars. 
The lower anterior incisor is rather deep, and with three prominent lobes on the cutting edge. 
The first premolar is large, the second twice the size, with two distinct cusps. 
Measurements. 
Current 
Number. 
Locality. 
From tip of nose to— 
Tail to end of— 
Length of— 
Width 
of 
palm. 
Skull. 
Width 
of 
jaw. 
Width 
of 
palate. 
Nature of 
specimen. 
Eye. 
Ear. 
Occip. 
Tail. 
Yerteb. 
Hairs. 
Fore ft. 
Hind ft. 
Length. 
Width. 
1681 
Petaluma, Cal. 
0.85 
] .96 
1.42 
1 • 55 
0.27 
0.47 
0.13 
0.70 
0.32 
0.17 
0.27 
1682 
.do.. 
0.30 
0.54 
0.81 
1.95 
1.22 
1.35 
0.27 
0.47 
0.13 
1683 
.do. 
0.30 
0.54 
0.81 
1.95 
1.46 
1.60 
0.27 
0.47 
0.13 
3 L 
