3 6 
U. S. P. R. R. EXP. AND SURVEYS—ZOOLOGY-GENERAL REPORT. 
BLARINA, Gray. 
Blarina, Gray, Pr. Zool. Soc. London, 1837. 
Brachysorex, Duvernoy, Mag. de Zool. 1842. 
Talpasorex, Lesson’. 
Cryptotis, Pomel, 1848. 
Anolus, Wagner, 1855 
Body stout; tail shorter than the head, or nearly equal to it, coated with short bristly hairs, and a small brush at the tip. 
Hands large in proportion to the feet; palms as broad or broader than the soles. Soles usually hairy at the heels. Fore claws 
longer than the hinder ones. Ears small, the antitragus and antihelix more developed than the helix, all directed forward 
and closing the meatus, so as to exhibit no opening nor any external ear whatever. Skull short and broad; truncated 
at tip and much less attenuated anteriorly than in the eared shrews. The anterior upper incisor, with the points simple, or 
without an internal lobe ; the teeth rarely in contact. Lower angular process of lower jaw rather stout and short. 
The short-tailed American shrews constitute what appears to he a very natural genus, en¬ 
tirely different from any inhabiting the old world. The short tail not longer than the head, 
and the apparently total want of ears are among the most striking external features. In the 
natural state it requires close examination to ascertain where the ear is situated, as it is directed 
completely forward and applied against the entire meatus like a valve. 1 The hair on what is 
thus the external surface of the ear is equally dense with that on the rest of the head and of the 
same length. It is this peculiarity that has caused authors to describe some of the species as 
without ears, especially Sorex carolinensis of Bachman, upon whose description Wagner has made 
a suhgenus Anotus, and others Cryptotis. There is, however, no difference in this respect in all 
the short-tailed species, and the above names are strictly synonymous with Blarina of Gray, 
and Brachysorex of Duvernoy. 
The species of Blarina, like those of Sorex, are divisible into two sections, according as the 
teeth are 32 or 30 in number ; in the former case there are five premolars, in the latter there are 
four. The formula of the first section is incisros, ^ ; premolars, ~ ; molars, ^ = 32 ; 
of the second in., ^ ; premolars, ^ ; molars, ^ =: 30. In no American shrew of this genus, 
or any other, have I found fewer than 30 teeth, or more than 32. 
In the following diagnoses are given more in detail the peculiar characters of each section: 
Section A, with five upper premolars. 
Color, a nearly uniform plumbeous on body and tail; scarcely lighter beneath. Dental 
formula |+S+£ 4 3= 32 teeth. The upper anterior incisor with the basal portion of the 
cutting edge formed by a nearly rectangular lobe, the entire tooth forming only a single hook. 
The first two premolars are nearly equal, the second usually a little larger ; the next two much 
smaller ; the fifth very small, and usually not visible externally. The first four with a small 
basal colored point on the inner side. Lower anterior incisors stout, much curved, with two or 
three lobed dentations. The first and second premolars are placed above this incisor, which 
even extends back as far as the middle of the first molar. Hands contained about one and a 
third times in the hind feet. 
i Throughout the article on Sorex I have erroneously used the term concha to indicate the flap of the ear, instead of auricle, 
and helix instead of antihelix. 
