Marginal records.—Saskatchewan: Prince Albert National Park, 1700 ft. (Anderson and Rand, 1945:48). Manitoba: Riding Mountain National Park, 2½ mi. NW Audy Lake (ibid.).
Sorex vagrans longiquus new subspecies
Type.—First year male, skin and skull; No. 87332, Univ. Michigan Mus. Zool.; obtained on July 21, 1942, by Emmet T. Hooper from 25 mi. ESE Big Sandy, Eagle Creek, Chouteau Co., Montana, original no. 2184.
Range.—Central Montana; marginal localities are: Bearpaw Mts., Zortman, Big Snowy Mts., Buffalo, Little Belt Mts.
Diagnosis.—Size small for the species; measurements of three topotypes are: total length, 101, 105, 108; tail, 39, 40, 42; hind foot, 11.5, 11.5, 12. Color pale; summer pelage: back near (17´´´k) Olive Brown but hairs of dorsum with a pale, buffy band proximal from the tips which imparts a pale over-all appearance; flanks near Wood Brown; underparts Pale Smoke Gray, usually not with a buffy wash; color of underparts often extending along margin of upper lip. Skull small for species; rostrum relatively broad and heavy; relatively broad interorbitally.
Comparisons.—From S. v. obscurus, S. v. longiquus differs as follows: size smaller; skull smaller in all dimensions although similar in proportion. From S. v. soperi, S. v. longiquus differs in: size smaller; color paler in summer pelage. From S. v. vagrans, S. v. longiquus differs in: color paler in summer pelage, less brownish; color of venter extending higher on flanks; venter Pale Smoke Gray, rarely tinged with buffy rather than usually tinged with buffy. From S. v. monticola, S. v. longiquus differs in: summer pelage slightly paler, venter Pale Smoke Gray rather than suffused with buffy.
Remarks.—The subspecies longiquus is obviously derived from the neighboring S. v. obscurus and differs from it mainly in size. Some specimens of obscurus from western Montana show evidences of intergradation with S. v. vagrans in possessing a somewhat buffy belly and these are thus more strikingly different from longiquus than are other specimens of obscurus. Many specimens of obscurus from the eastern slope of the Lewis and Clark Range in Montana show the tricolored pattern seen in many specimens of longiquus. The smallest individuals of longiquus are found on the Big Snowy Mountains. Intergradation with obscurus is seen in specimens here referred to S. v. obscurus from the Big Belt Mountains.
Specimens examined.—Total number, 45. Montana: Hill Co.: Bearpaw Mts., 5 UM, 2 BS. Phillips Co.: Zortman, 1 BS. Chouteau Co.: type locality, 3 UM; Highwood Mts., 13 BS. Cascade Co.: Neihart, Little Belt Mts., 1 BS. Judith Basin Co.: 3 mi. W Geyser, 4100 ft., 1 KU; Otter Creek, 10 mi. SW Geyser, 1 BS; Dry Wolf Creek, 20 mi. SW Stanford, 1 BS. Buffalo, 13 mi. W Buffalo Canyon, 2 BS. Fergus Co.: Moccasin Mts., 15 mi. NW Hilger, 3 BS; Judith Mts., 17 mi. NE Lewiston, 1 BS; 15 mi. S Heath, N. fork Flat Willow Creek, Big Snowy Mts., 1 BS; Timber Creek, Big Snowy Mts., 1 BS; Crystal Lake, 6000 ft., Big Snowy Mts., 2 UM; Rocky Creek, 5600 ft., Big Snowy Mts., 3 UM; Big Snowy Mts., 3 BS. Meagher Co.: Sheep Creek, 16 mi. N White Sulphur Springs, Little Belt Mts., 1 BS.
Marginal records.—Montana: Bearpaw Mts.; Zortman; Big Snowy Mts.; 16 mi. N White Sulphur Springs; Highwood Mts.
Sorex vagrans neomexicanus Bailey