284 NORTHERN ZOOLOGY.
A d d e n d u m .
[83.] 2. Condylura macroura. (Harlan.) Thick-Tailed
Star-Nose.
Condylura macroura. Harlan, Fauna, p. 39.
P l a t e x x iv .
Since the greater part of the preceding sheets were printed off, Mr. David
Douglas has presented me with a specimen of this remarkable animal, procured
by him on the banks of the Columbia. Dr. Harlan has described an individual
which is preserved in the Philadelphia Museum, but its native locality is not
mentioned. Mr. Douglas’s specimen possesses all the characters ascribed by
Dr. Harlan to his ; and I have, therefore, considered it to belong to the same
species. I received no information respecting its habits.
D E S C R I P T IO N .
The head is remarkably large';, thé body is thick and short, and becomes, narrower towards-
the tail, and the hind legs are consequently nearer to each other than the fore-ones. The nose
is rather thick, and projects beyond the mouth; it is naked towards its end, is marked with a
furrow above, and terminates in aflat surface, which is surrounded by seventeen cartilaginous.■
processes, with two more anterior ones ^situated above the nostrils, and a pair of forked ones
immediately below the nostrils.. The surfaces bf these processes are minutely granulated.
Some white whiskers spring from the side of the nose, and reach about half the leno-th of the
head. There are others not so long on the upper and under lips.
The fu r on the body is very soft and fine, and has considerable lustre. I t is longer than
the fur of the other two known species. Its colour on. the dorsal aspect is dark umber-brown,
approaching to blackish-brown. On the belly it is pale liver-brown. When the fur is blown
aside, it exhibits a shining blackish-gray colour towards its roots. It is longer on the hind-
head and neck than on the belly#
The tail is narrow at its origin, but it suddenly swells to an inch and a half in circumference
; it then tapers gradually until it ends in a fine point, formed by a pencil of hairs about
half an inch long. It is round, or very slightly compressed, and is covered with scales about as
large as those on the feet, and with short, tapering, acute hairs, which do not conceal the
scales. The hairs covering the upper surface of the tail are nearly black; those beneath are
of a browner hue.
The extremities are shaped almost precisely like those of the condylura longicaudata. Only
the palms and toes of the fore-feet project beyond the body. The palms are nearly circular, and
F-L A T E , 2 4?.
ffoblished, by J o h n Murray. Sanaa ry28ZS.