MUSCARDINUS 591 



Colour. — Upper parts including ears and entire tail very 

 uniform yellowish buff, the exact shade perhaps best described 

 as intermediate between the buff-yellow and raw-sienna of 

 Ridgway, somewhat brighter on sides and flanks, faintly darker 

 along middle of back ; feet concolor with back, the toes 

 suffused with whitish ; underparts strongly contrasted pale 

 cream-buff, the line of demarcation well-defined and conspicuous, 

 the hairs slaty grey at base ; chin and throat usually though not 

 always with pure white area as in 31. avellanarius, this area when 

 present not forming noticeable contrast with rest of underparts. 



Skull and teeth. — The skull and teeth do not differ appre- 

 ciably from those of Muscardinus avellanarius, though the teeth 

 are usually a trifle larger. 



Measurements. — Type (adult male) : head and body, 90 ; 

 tail, 68 ; hind foot, 16 ; ear from meatus, 12. Adult male from 

 Monte Cimino, Rome : head and body, 74 ; tail, 70 ; hind 

 foot, 18*5. Average and extremes of ten males from Sorrento : 

 head and body, 79 • 4 (71-86) ; tail, 65 • 3 (63-73) ; hind foot, 15 ■ 7 

 (15-17). Average and extremes of ten females from Sorrento: 

 head and body, 79-9 (75-85); tail, 69-6 (62-73); hind foot, 

 15*9 (15-17). For cranial measurements see Table, p. 589. 



Specimens examined. — Fifty-seven, from the following localities in Italy : 

 Perugia, 1 (type) ; Monte Cimino, Rome, 1 (Genoa) ; Sorrento, 54 

 (U.S.N. M.) ; Palermo, Sicily, 1 (too young to be positively identified). 



ItemarJcs. — This species is well differentiated from Muscar- 

 dinus avellanarius by its bi'ight, light colour and by the white 

 streak between ear and eye. It may eventually prove to be 

 identical with the Myoxus speciosus of Dehne from the extreme 

 south of Italy, but the description of the latter indicates a much 

 darker more reddish animal. A single immature specimen 

 (No. 8. 9. 28. 1) from Palermo, Sicily, too young and in too 

 bad condition to be satisfactorily identified, is noticeably different 

 from any of the numerous young individuals from Sorrento. In 

 its " foxy " red colour it agrees with the description of Dehne's 

 animal. 



6. Perugia, Italy. (Brogi.) Dr. E. Hamilton (p). 98. 10. 2. 17. 



[Type of species.) 

 ?. Palermo, Sicily. J. I. S. Whitaker (p). 8. 9. 28. 1. 



Faaiily MURID^. 



1821; Muridse Gray, London Med. Eepos., xv, p. 303, April 1, 1823. 



Geographical distribution. — As in the order Rodentia. 



Characters. — Anterior j^ortion of zygomatic arch not formed 

 chiefly by jugal ; infraorl^ital foramen large, wider above than 

 below, without accessory canal; jugal bone splint-like, supported 

 by long zygomatic processes of maxillary and squamosal, not 

 in contact with lachrymal anteriorly ; mandible with angular 



