38 
U. S. P. R. R. EXP. AND SURVEYS-ZOOLOGY-GENERAL REPORT. 
this member appears entirely wanting. On lifting it, however, the antitragus and antihelix are 
found to he well developed; the upper portion of the latter even higher than the helix. The 
auricle, as stated, is directed entirely forward, and fits neatly and exactly against the entire 
opening of the ear. It is altogether naked on its concavity ; posteriorly, and on the edge, 
densely furred. There is also a ciliation of hairs on the edges of the antitragus and antihelix. 
The entire external ear has the membranes unusually thick. 
The feet are broad, the anterior especially, which are as wide or even wider than the posterior. 
The fore claws are twice as long as the hinder. The hand itself is as long as the foot, from 
heel to end of metatarsus. The hind foot is about half as long as the head. Both fore and 
hind feet are thinly furnished with hairs on their upper surface, which do not conceal the 
prominent scutellas. The palm is naked, with six large tubercles ; the sole is also naked, with 
six tubercles, although the hairs overgrow the heel somewhat from the sides, leaving a narrow, 
naked, central line. 
The tail is very short, thick, slightly constricted at the base, and of nearly uniform size to 
the extreme tip ; it is quite thickly clothed with hairs, so as almost to conceal the annuli, and 
terminates in a decided pencil. With the hairs, it is about as long as the head, and a little 
more than twice the length of the hind foot. 
The longest hairs on the hack measure about 0.30 of an inch. These vary, however, with 
the season. 
Head, 1.05 inches; head and body, 3.20; tail, vertebrae, 0.90; tail, hairs, 1.00; fore foot, 
0.38 ; hind foot, 0.55. 
The preceding description is taken from a specimen in alcohol, from Massachusetts, as illus¬ 
trating the external conditions of the animal, and corresponding well with the S. dekayi of 
authors. In order, however, to exhibit more fully the probable identity of this species with the 
S. talpoides of Gapper, I subjoin the description of a skin from near Montreal, a locality not 
essentially remote from that of Gapper’s specimen. 
Body cylindrical, covered with rather short, close hair. Snout elongated, flattened above, 
much tapering ; truncated at tip, which alone is naked and hilobed. Nostrils lateral, somewhat 
elongated longitudinally in the dried specimen, hut nearly circular when fresh or even sub-ver¬ 
tical. Eyes very minute, appearing as a mere speck. Ear with the aperture large, but com¬ 
pletely hidden in the dried skin, the animal appearing entirely destitute. The external ear is 
a mere flap, hilobed and situated entirely infero-posteriorly. The feet are rather small ; the 
anterior'nearly as long and rather broader than the posterior, with decidedly longer claws. All 
are sparingly coated with hairs on the upper surface, so as not to conceal the scaly character 
there visible. The palms are naked, with transverse wrinkles under the fingers, and several 
tubercles ; the soles are similar, though scantily coated with hairs towards the heel. The third 
finger is longest; the fourth scarcely shorter ; next the second ; the cleft between the second 
and third deepest. The claw of the fifth reaches to the end of the finger of the fourth ; that of 
the first about to the end of the finger of the fifth. In the hind foot the central three toes are 
nearly equal. The first and fifth spring out some distance behind the others ; the former 
shortest, the latter not reaching to the base of the fourth claw. The tail is short, cylindrical 
in the fresh specimen, covered with short annuli, having hairs springing between so as to nearly 
conceal them, and a distinct brush of hairs at the end. 
The color of the species varies somewhat with the specimen. In the largest skin from Mon¬ 
treal, it is everywhere of a smoky brownish gray, slightly paler beneath. Feet whitish ; claws 
