264 REPORT ON ZOOLOGY, MDCCCXLIV. 



If the author (S. 91) adduces Sc. auriventer as being identical with Sc. 

 Finlai/sonii, the Reporter has, on the contrary, to remark, that in both not 

 merely the absolute size of the body, but also the relation to it of the tail, 

 in accordance with the preceding descriptions, exhibits such differences, that 

 so long as these are not equalized, an identification of both kinds of animals 

 does not appear to him justifiable. 



Concerning the habits of Tamias striatits, Eversmann has given extensive 

 details in the ' Bullet de la Classe Phys. Math, de 1'Acad. de Petersb.' ii, p. 

 123. 



MYOXINA. Lortet has (Annales des sc. phys. et nat., 

 d'Agriculture et d'Industrie, publiees par la Soc. Roy. 

 <F Agriculture, &c., de Lyon, vii, 1844, p. 153, and 430) 

 communicated observations concerning the lethargic sleep 

 of the Dormouse (Mijoxus muscardinus.} 



The observations were instituted upon a single individual, and in such a 

 manner that the bulb of the thermometer was introduced between the ven- 

 tral folds of skin. They were commenced in October, 1843, and extend 

 over a whole year. On October 25th the animal fell into the lethargic sleep, 

 out of which it awoke several times. Until the following June was the 

 longest period of sleep ; and the following is the temperature as observed 

 by a Centigrade scale : 



Air tempe- Temperature of 

 rature. the animal. 



From November 29 to December 6 . . 11,9 . . . 12,2 



10 15 .. 12,3 . . . 11,9 



17 24 .. 11,9 . . . 10,9 



15 January 15 . . 7,3 . . 7,0 



January 17 February 6 . . 8,4 . . 8,5 



The animal was longest awake, 



from 7 to January 9 ... 11,6 . . . 32,0 



15 February 27 .. 7,5 ... 30,2 



16 March 27 ... 9,0 . . . 35,0 



Until the middle of July the sleep was almost always lethargic, with consi- 

 derable diminution of the temperature, and the animal required but a few 

 seconds in order to relapse therein, without its dropping off into a sleep similar 

 to that of the other Mammalia, i. e. without depression of heat and without 

 protracted or irregular respiration. From the 20th of July the animal con- 

 tinued in a waking or sleeping condition, without exhibiting symptoms of 

 lethargic sopor. The first lethargic sleep was observed upon October 15, 

 184 1, and thus almost at the same time as in the past year. 

 DiroDA. Remarks upon Ilic classification of the Jerboas, in reference 



