GLis 573 



the Atlantic coast of the mainland east to Asia Minor, north to 

 northern Germany, south to Sicily, Sardinia and northern 

 Spain. 



Character>i. — Skull flattened, slightly angvdar, the interorbital 

 region with lateral ridges which unite to form a median crest in 

 old age ; brain-case rather broad and low, the auditory bulhe 

 moderate ; ectopterygoid reduced to a low ridge ; jugal very long 

 in front, extending almost or quite to laclu-ymal ; mandible with 

 angular portion entire ; dental formula as in Eliomyx ; crowns of 

 cheek-teeth very slightly concave, the inner and outer margins 

 scarcely elevated, the outer side of jh^ and m' with five low 

 cusps ; crowns of m^ and wi- alike in form, each crossed by four 

 complete transverse ridges, in the spaces between which lie three 

 incomplete ridges ; external appearance sijuirrel-like, the tail 

 conspicuously distichous. 



RemarJcs. — The single known member of this genus is one of 

 the most characteristic mammals of central and southern Europe. 

 In the mechanics of the zygomatic arch Glis is more sciurine than 

 any of the other European members of the family. The structure 

 of the teeth and the peculiarities of external form are less 

 specialised than in 3Iitscar(Unus. 



GLIS GLIS Lin mens. 

 (Synonymy under subspecies.) 



GeograpMcal fh'sfribution. — From the northern portion of the 

 Iberian Peninsula to Asia Minor ; north to the Baltic coast of 

 (Germany ; south to Sardinia and Sicily ; west to the Atlantic. 



Diagnofiis. — General characters as in the genus ; size largest 

 of the European 3Iiiscardiriidge (head and body about IGO to 

 190; hind foot about 27 to 34; condylobasal length of skull 

 about 3G to 44) ; colour greyish above, whitish below, the tail 

 usually darker or more slaty than body ; no blackish markings 

 anywhere. 



External charactersi. — General form and appearance squirrel- 

 like. Details of structure much as in Eliomys quercinus except 

 in the following particulars. Ear much smaller, extending barely 

 to eye M'hen laid forward ; scarcely a trace of ridge on inner 

 surface of conch, but meatus Mdth a small though evident anti- 

 tragus-like lobe. Eeet more robust than in the other European 

 members of the family, but relative lengths of digits as in 

 Eliomi/x ; tubercles larger relatively to the area in which they 

 occur ; posterointernal palmar tubercle divided into two nearly 

 equal parts, on the outer surface of the anterior of which an 

 exceedingly small remnant of the thumb nail may usually be 

 detected. Sole rather broad and robust, hairy on jiosterior third, 

 its tubercles not ditiering noticeably among themselves in form, 

 the postero-internal tubercle not elongated, but the three posterior 



