_Comparisons._--For comparison with _S. v. halicoetes_ see account of that subspecies.
_Remarks._--This subspecies, occurring at the limits of the range of the species, is uncommon in most collections. Seven specimens were available for the original description. The summer pelage is not completely described in the original description, but is stated to be darker than the winter pelage of _S. v. vagrans_, and must thus be considerably darker than the summer pelage of _S. v. halicoetes_. Two specimens in the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, from San Gregario, referred by Jackson to _S. v. halicoetes_, were included in the present subspecies by von Bloeker.
_Records of occurrence_ (von Bloeker, 1939:94).--CALIFORNIA: _San Mateo Co._: San Gregario. _Monterey Co._: Seaside; mouth of Salinas River; Moss Landing.
_Marginal records._--CALIFORNIA: San Gregario; Seaside.
_Sorex vancouverensis_ Merriam, N. Amer. Fauna, 10:70, December 31, 1895.
_Sorex vagrans vancouverensis_, Jackson, N. Amer. Fauna, 51:106, July, 1928.
_Type._--Adult male, skin and skull; No. 71913, U. S. Biol. Surv. Coll.; obtained on May 10, 1895, by Clark P. Streator, from Goldstream, Vancouver Island, British Columbia.
_Range._--Vancouver Island from Sayward south, and Bowen Island.
_Diagnosis._--Size small for the species; average and extreme measurements of 6 specimens from Alberni Valley, Vancouver Island, are: total length, 106.5 (97-115); tail, 41.7 (40-43); hind foot, 12 (11-13) (Jackson, 1928:107). Ventral parts brownish, winter pelage reddish brown rather than grayish.
_Comparisons._--Differs from _S. v. vagrans_ in more brownish ventral parts and more brownish, rather than grayish, winter pelage; differs from the sympatric _S. v. isolatus_ in shorter tail, shorter hind foot, more narrow skull, and smaller teeth.
_Remarks._--This is a poorly differentiated subspecies which is closely related to _S. v. vagrans_. The differences in color noted are average ones. Some individuals of this shrew might be difficult to separate from _S. v. isolatus_. The slight degree of morphological divergence is such that intergrades might be expected to occur. Possibly some habitat separation occurs, but such has not been reported.