GLIS 573 



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

 northern Germany, south to Sicily, Sardinia and northern 

 Spain. 



Characters. — Skull flattened, slightly angular, the interorbital 

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

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

 mode)-ate ; ectopterygoid reduced to a low ridge ; jugal very long 

 in front, extending almost or quite to lachrymal ; mandible with 

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

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

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

 cusps ; crowns of m} and ?»'^ alike in form, each crossed by four 

 complete transverse ridges, in the spaces between which lie three 

 incomplete ridges ; external appearance squirrel-like, the tail 

 conspicuously distichous. 



Remarls. — 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 Muscardinus. 



GLIS GLIS Linnfeus. 

 (Synonymy under subspecies.) 



Geographical distribution. — From the northern portion of the 

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

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



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

 of the European Mmcardinidse (head and body about 160 to 

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

 about 36 to 44) ; colour greyish above, whitish below, the tail 

 usually darker or more slaty than body ; no blackish markings 

 anywhere. 



External characters. — General form and appearance squirrel- 

 like. Details c>f structure much as in Eliomys quercinus except 

 in the following particulars. Ear much smaller-, extending barely 

 to eye when laid forward ; scarcely a trace of ridge on inner 

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

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

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

 Eliomys ; 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 posterior third, 

 its tubercles not diftering noticeably among themselves in form, 

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



