SECOND GROUP OF FAMILIES In the second group of families, which contains all the remain ing Insectivora, the pelvic symphysis is either lacking or formed merely by the epiphyses of the pubes; and the orbit and tern poral region of the skull are confluent. With the exception of the Talpidae (true Moles) and Chrysochloridae (golden Moles) the tympanum is ring-like. The first representatives of this group are the Moles, constituting the family Talpidae, in which the lower ends of the tibia and fibula are united, there is a descent of the testes, the tympanum forms a bladder-like bulla, the zygo matic or cheek-arch, although slender, is complete, there is no pelvic symphysis, the upper molars are five, and the first upper incisor is simple and the lower vertical. Most of the species are burrowing, but a few are aquatic; they have an exclusively animal diet. They are confined to temperate Europe, Asia and North America. Throughout the family the eyes are very small, and in some of the forms are covered with skin; the ears are short, and the fore-limbs are generally more or less modified for digging. The true Moles of the genus Talpa are the typical members of the first subfamily, the Talpinae, in which the clavicle and humerus are very short and broad, while there is an additional sickle-like bone on the inner side of the fore-foot which is very broad. The dental formula of the genus Talpa is mi. T. europea, the Common European Mole, is widely dis tributed over Europe and western and central Asia; the eastern limits of its range are not known. Parascaptor is a closely related genus containing one species, P. leucurus, from Assam and the adjacent country; it is a small mole with a very short tail and long snout. The genus Scaptochirus is considered to contain three species from China; these moles possess very large fore-feet and short tails. Another closely allied genus is Mogera, which includes a few species of short-haired moles with short tails; dental formula i. ,
p.4, m.4. These moles come from the Far East ; M. wogera, from Japan, is a large, pale vandyke-brown coloured species.
Talpinae:—(i.) Scalops, a genus with very large fore-feet and webbed toes; tail very short, slender and nearly naked, and ears and eyes quite small. S. aquaticus, the common mole of the eastern United States and of considerable importance as a fur-bearing animal, is found from Massachusetts to Minnesota and Colorado and southward to Florida and Texas. It is a pale sepia-coloured or slate-coloured mole, often tinged with brown, varying in length in the different subspecies, of which some io are recognized, from barely 54 in. to 8 in. and in colour from light drab to dark sepia and brown, (ii.) Scapanus, a genus with very broad hands, but with toes lacking webs; the tail is rather longer, thick and scantily haired, and the general colour of the body is darker, varying in winter in some forms to black. There are several species, all natives of the Pacific slope where they take the place of the common mole (Scalops) of the eastern United States, which they strongly resemble in their habits. S. townsendi, the best known of the group, comes from northern California, Oregon and Washington, where it is common between the Cascades and the Coast ranges. It is a large mole, 9 in. long and blackish in colour, with a plump body and a tail '4 in. long, S. orarius, about 7 in. long, with the body blackish or greyish in colour, occurs from northern California through Oregon and Washington to British Columbia. S. latimanus, similar or slightly larger in size but varying in colour from grey or drab to brown and black, is found from southern California to central Oregon; a larger grey form, var. alpinus, 72 in. long, occurs at Crater Lake. (iii.) Parascalops, is a smaller genus, with one species. P. breweri, the Hairy-tailed Mole, found in dry sandy soil from New Brunswick to Georgia and westward to Ohio; the body is blackish, often with brownish gloss; the tail is short, thick, compressed at the base, and very hairy; the toes are not webbed. (iv.) Condylura, the Star-nosed Mole, which is distinguished by the possession of a fringe of fleshy appendages around the ex tremity of the snout, r i appendages on each side. Its general bodily size is about that of the common European mole, but the tail is much longer. The star-nosed mole is blackish in colour and about 72 in. long; the tail, which is about 23 in. long, is covered with coarse hair; and the toes are not webbed. One species only is recognized, C. cristata, the type locality of which is Pennsyl vania; it occurs, but rather infrequently, in wet meadows and marshes from southern Labrador to south-eastern Manitoba south ward to Georgia and Indiana, often leaving its burrows and running about on the surface.
The second subfamily is the Desmaninae including a series of animals rather intermediate between Moles and Shrews, known as the Mole-Shrews. A number of genera has been described, the most important of which are the following : (i.) Urotrichus, small shrew-like animals with long snouts, and hairy, almost bushy tails; fore-feet not markedly enlarged, but more so than in the Shrews. U. talpoides comes from Japan, from where a number of races have been described (head and body 90 mm., tail 25 mm.). (ii.) Neurotrichus contains a small shrew-like species, N. gibbsi, with large hands and a short hairy tail (head and body i io mm., tail 36 mm). (iii.) Scaptonyx, allied to Neurotrichus, with a more hairy tail and smaller fore feet; the genus is restricted to China. (iv.) Dymecodon, con tains but a single species, D. pilirostris from Japan ; it is smaller than Urotrichus and has a proportionally longer, but less hairy tail (head and body 78 mm.; tail 4o mm.). (v.) Uropsilus a long nosed, long-tailed genus, with small hands and feet ; the tail is short-haired; U. soricipes hails from China. (vi.) Rhynchonax, contains a single species from Sze-Chuan, China, smaller than Uropsilas and darker in colour. (vii.) Galemys contains the Water Mole or Western Desman, from south-western France and the Italian Peninsula. This and the following species show marked adaptation to an aquatic'life the toes being webbed and the tail long and flattened laterally. The snout is of considerable length, as also is the soft body fur which is otter-brown above, and yellowish-grey below. Dimensions of the species (G. pyrenai cus) :—head and body 131 mm., tail 145 mm., hind-foot 38. The last genus (9) Desmana, the Russian Desman (D. moschata) is very similar in form to Galemys, but much larger and more massive (total length 16 inches) ; it inhabits the streams and lakes of South-east Russia.
The next family, the Soricidae or Shrew Mice, is closely related to the Moles, with which it is connected by some of the subfamily Desmaninae. The species are, how ever, distinguished by the ring-like tympanic, incompleteness of the zygomatic arch, and the forward direction of the first lower incisors. The majority are terrestrial, but a few are aquatic. There are no lower canines, and always six functional teeth on each side of the lower jaw; in some species an additional tooth occurs. In the typical genus Sorex the dental formula is as fol lows
c4,
, m.; in this genus and its allies the teeth are tipped with brownish-red, in the Croci-durine section the teeth are wholly white. The jnembers of the genus Sorex are widely spread over Europe, Asia (north of the Himalayas) and North America. The ears are well developed, the tail long and evenly haired, without the long hairs so characteristic of Croci dura. The typical species S. araneus is the Common Shrew Mouse of Europe ; it is distributed over the northern portions of Europe and Asia from England and Scotland eastward ; south wards it reaches central Spain and Italy. As with so many British mammals it is absent from Ireland. (Head and body 65 to 8o mm.; tail 2o-35 mm.; hind-foot 11-14.5 mm.). S. minutes, the Pygmy Shrew Mouse, is considerably smaller, meas uring only about 52 mm. in length (head and body) ; found over the northern part of Eurasia from Ireland eastward and south as far as the Pyrenees and southern Italy. Over sixty species and subspecies of this genus have been described. In the genus Soriculus the openings of the male and female generative organs form with the anal orifice a shallow cloaca; in Sorex they are separate; dentition
4 3 m.4. The longest tailed Soriculus is S. irene, from Sze-Chuan, in which the tail measures 87 mm. ; and the head and body 62 mm. in length. Closely allied to Soriculus is a group of small Chinese Shrews belonging to the genus Chodsigoa, some species having a long tail (63 mm.) while others (C. lamula) have a fairly short tail (head and body 67 mm.; tail S4 mm.). Notiosorex (dentition it
m.*) contains a small species, N. crawfordi from New Mexico (head and body 85 mm.; tail 26 mm.; hind-foot 12 mm.) ; and Blarina is another short-tailed genus of American Shrews, some members of which are found in South and Central America; in size they are about equal to the Common European Shrew, but have a much shorter tail (B. brevicauda:—tail 26 mm. ; dentition m.-). The genus Blarinella, from Western China, is closely allied to the American Blarina; the tail is not quite so short and the ear not so rudimentary as in the latter genus. The teeth are all heavily pigmented. B. quadraticauda :—head and body 69 mm.; tail 43 mm. ; B. griselda, from Tao-chou, is smaller and has a shorter tail; dimensions :—head and body 68 mm.; tail 33 mm. hind-foot II mm. Neomys is an aquatic genus of Shrews found over a large area of the Palaertic region north of the Mediter ranean from Spain and England to the Caucasus and Asia Minor, northwards as far as Scandinavia. Dental formula, i. i ,.c • i , p • i m.4. The fur is very soft and dark slatey-grey in colour ; feet and tail fringed.
In the United States the Soricidae are represented by six genera. Sorex, with 20 species, includes S. personatus, the Common American Shrew, 4 in. long, found from New England to Tennessee and Alaska; S. fumens, the Smoky Shrew, of the north-eastern States, and S. vagrans, the Western Shrew, abundant from the Rocky Mountains westward. Neosorex, with 4 species, in cludes N. albibarbis, the Marsh Shrew, of eastern North America. Microsorex, with 2 species, includes M. winnemana, of Virginia, only 3 in. long, the smallest American mammal. Blaring, with 2 species, includes B. brevicaudata, the Mole-shrew, of the central and eastern states ; Crypotis contains 2 species, natives to the southern states, and Notiosorex, a single species found in the south-west.
The Shrews with white teeth are found in Europe, Asia and Africa. The short-haired, long-tailed Shrews of Africa with four upper unicuspids are grouped together in the genus Sylvisorex, in some the tail is much longer than the body (head and body 6o mm. ; tail 85) ; in others, as in S. lunaris from Ruwenzori, the tail is about equal in length to the head and body. In the allied genus Myosorex, also from Africa, the tail is long and the fur soft and thick; the openings of the generative organs and vent, although close together, are distinct. Surdisorex is another white toothed genus containing one or two species; S. norae is dis tinguished by its very short tail (head and body 92 mm. ; tail 20 mm. ; hind-foot 15 mm.), very soft, deep chocolate-coloured coat, and large fore-feet. It inhabits Kenya Colony. The typical genus of this group, Crocidura, or Musk Shrews, is found over nearly the whole of Africa and the warmer parts of Europe and Asia; a species has recently been described from the Scilly Isles. Dentition i.i,
m.-4. The generative openings form a short cloaca with the anal orifice. Tail long, with a number of long, rather bristly hairs in addition to the shorter normal hairs. Some of the largest and smallest members of this genus are found in Africa; the smallest Musk Shrew, probably the smallest mammal, is C. pasha, from the Sudan. The Crocidurine Shrews with an extra premolar (dentition,
c.4., p.i, m.4) are con sidered to represent a distinct genus, Pachyura, which is found over Africa, the warmer parts of Asia, and Mediterranean region. The members of this group all have the typical Crocidurine tails, with the long bristle-like hairs. Praesorex goliath is a giant shrew from the Cameroons (head and body 17o mm. ; tail 102 MM.; hindfoot 25 mm.) related to the Crocidura but distinguished by its longer and harsher coat. In Solisorex pearsoni, another large form, the tail is shorter (66 mm.) and the fur softer and greyer. Scutisorex includes the "Tin-hatted Shrews" from Uganda and the Eastern Congo. The skull of this species has enormously developed lambdoid crests which extend backwards and are continuous with a posterior extension of the lateral tem poral crests (head and body 143 mm. ; tail 77 mm. ; hind-foot 20 mm.).
Anourosorex is an allied genus containing but a single species, A. squamipes, a small mole-coloured shrew with a very short tail (head and body 83 mm. ; tail 16 mm. ; hind-foot 15 mm.) . This genus, which inhabits Sze-chuan and Tibet, is distinguished from the closely related genus Diplomesodon, from the Kirghiz Steppes, by the soles of the hindfeet being scaly, not hairy. The latter genus, which also contains only one species, D. pulchellus, is further distinguished by its longer tail. Lastly there are two Asiatic mountain aquatic genera:—(i.) Chim arrogale from Kashmir, Sikkim, and country around Darjeeling, distinguished by its long tail with an inferior fringe of
hairs; the generative organs open into the same
ring as the anal orifice; the dental formula is i.
(ii.) Nectogale, very similar in appearance to the foregoing genus, the "feathering" of the feet and tail being more developed; in colour about like a mole, whitish below.
The Hedgehogs and Gymnuras, or Rat-Shrews, forming the family Erinaceidae, differ from the shrews in having a broader tympanic ring, a complete zygomatic arch, and the presence of a short public symphysis; the family is, at the present day, exclusively confined to the Old World. The typical sub family, the Erinaceinae, or hedgehogs, is easily recognized by the spiny nature of the coat, the rudimentary tail, broad pelvis, and the presence of palatal vacuities; the members of this group are distributed over Europe, Africa and a large part of Asia. Dentition i., c
p., m.*. The Hedgehogs are divided into five genera :—(i) Erinaceus, containing the common European species and about 12 other forms from Europe, Asia and the Canary Islands, ranging from Spain to China. In this genus the pterygoids and bullae are normal, the spines on the crown divided into two groups by a median parting which is narrow and in conspicuous, a hallux is present, and the third incisor normally one-rooted. (ii.) Aethechinus, found in Africa and Southern Europe, has the coronal parting broad and the third incisor two rooted. Some of the forms (4 or 5 in number) are smaller and darker than in Erinaceus, Aethechinus frontalis, from South Africa, being dark blackish-brown above, and usually black below.
(iii.) Atelerix, from Northern and East Africa, differs from the above mentioned genera in the hallux being absent; these hedge hogs are small in size and light buff or brownish in colour. A. albiventris, from the Sudan, is a very pale coloured species, while A. spini f ex, from Nigeria, is a brown form. (iv.) Hemiechinus, a genus containing a number of forms from the Southern and Eastern Palaeartic Region; some species occur in Egypt and Northern India. In these hedgehogs there is a median parting on the crown. H. collaris is a black form from India; another Indian species is the Long-Eared Hedgehog, H. megalotis. Lastly, in (v.) Paraethinos, the pterygoids are inflated, and a coronal part ing is present ; found in South Eastern Europe, and from Egypt to India. P. amir is a large black coloured species (head and body 24o mm.), and P. dorsalis from Arabia has the prickles on the back bright buff coloured with a dark brown dorsal marking.
The second subfamily Gymnurinae, is distinguished by the absence of spines and palatal cavities, the long tail, and narrow pelvis. The species of the typical genus, Gymnura, inhabit Tenasserim, the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo and a few adjacent islands. G. gymnura has the hinder part of the body and limbs black, and the head, shoulders and median part of the anterior back white. G. rafesii, or alba is entirely white or pale buff. These Rat Shrews are of considerable size (head and body about 42o mm.). Dentition it ,
, p m.3.. The Lesser Rat Shrews, of the genus Hylomys, are easily dis tinguished by their much smaller size, very short tail (head and body 140 mm. ; tail 23 mm.), and dark vole-like coloration. Four races have been described from Borneo, Annam, Siam, Sumatra and Tonking. A closely allied genus is the Sze-Chuan and Yunnan Neotetracus in which the tail is of considerable length and the feet large (head and body 12o mm. ; tail 63 mm. ; hind foot 26.5 mm.) . In the Philippines the group is represented by Podogymnura truei, in which the hindfoot is greatly elongated.
The next family, the Potamogalidae, is represented by a single species, Potamogale velox, the Otter Shrew, an aquatic insectivore confined to the rivers of the Cameroons, Gaboon and Congo. In this genus the zygomatic arch is wanting; the animal measures about two feet in total length, the laterally compressed tail occupies about half this length. Den tition
c? p.4, m.4.
Family Centetidae agrees with the Potamogalidae in the ab sence of zygomatic arch, but the upper molars have narrower crowns. Teats are present on both the breast and abdomen, and some forms are as spiny as hedgehogs ; the group is confined to Madagascar. The subfamilies and genera are as follows:—Cen tetinae (i.) Centetes, the Tenrec, (e. ecaudatus), a large, tailless animal, with harsh, spiny hair; the young ones are striped. Dentition
c.f,
, m.*. (ii.) Hernicentetes, the Lesser Tenrec, smaller than the Tenrec, and more spiny; striped throughout life. Dentition i.
p., m. (iii.) Ericulus, the Hedgehog Ten recs (E. nigrescens and E. setosus), Hedgehog-like animals hav ing the whole dorsal surface covered with spines. Dentition pi-,
. Oryzorictinae. (i.) Microgale, small shrew-likespecies with long tails (head and body 6o mm. ; tail 14o mm.) . Dentition, i.I, c-,
(ii.) Nesogale, larger than Microgale but with a proportionately shorter tail. (iii.) Oryzorictes, dis tinguished by its shorter tail (47 mm.) ; the species are fossorial.
(iv.) Limnogale, a large aquatic form (L. mergulus) with webbed toes and a long laterally compressed tail (head and body 15o mm., tail 14o mm., hind-foot 15 mm.) .
Closely allied to the Centetidae is the family Solenodontidae, which contains but a single genus, Solenodon, and two species S. paradoxus and S. cubanus, the former from Hayti, and the latter from Cuba. The family is distinguished by the skull being con stricted behind the orbits, the descent of the testes into the peri neum, and in having the teats postinguinal. Solenodons, which look like huge rats, have the same dental formula as Microgale; they have long snouts and tails, and 'their bodies are clothed with long, coarse hair. The tail is naked, the whiskers very long, and the ears large.
The last family of Insectivora is the Chrysocliloridae or Golden Moles. The skull is conical and not constricted between the orbits; zygomatic arch and auditory bullae well developed, post orbital process absent. Upper molars tri tubercular, with very tall crowns. The ears are small and the eyes concealed beneath the skin; the teats are both pectoral and inguinal. The forefeet are specialized for burrowing, the two middle claws of the manus being very powerful. All the species are fossorial and confined to south, east and central Africa. They are usually some shade of brown or grey with a brilliant metallic lustre, varying from peacock-green to golden bronze. Four genera are recognized :—(i.) Bematiscus, the Giant Golden Mole of Pondoland and the Transvaal. (ii.) Chrysospalax, the Natal Golden Moles, rather smaller than Bematiscus. (iii.) Ambly somus, the Golden Moles of South-east and Central Africa; smaller than the foregoing genera (head and body 115 mm. ; tail 13 mm.), usually sepia brown or chocolate with bronze or pinkish metallic lustre. Teeth only 36 in number owing to the absence of the last pair of molars. (iv.) Clirysochloris, the typical genus, with 4o teeth, from South and Central Africa ; about equal in size to Amblysomus; C. asiatica, from Cape Town, is a grey animal with a bluish sheen, while C. congicus, has a white face.
E. Dobson, Monograph of the InsectivoreBibliography.-G. E. Dobson, Monograph of the Insectivore (1883-9o) ; W. Leche, "Zur Morphologic des Zahnsystems der Insectiv oren," Anatom. Anzeiger (XIII. 1 and 514, 1897) ; numerous papers in the Annals and Magazine of Natural History and Proceedings of the Zoological Society by Oldfield Thomas; Guy Dollman, "Monograph of the African Crocidura," Annals and Magazine of Natural History, Vols. V. to VII., 1915-16.
G. D.)
