MYOSIOTIS—MYOTALPA. 441 
My osictis—Continued. 
Extinct. 
Myosictis: Os, uvos, mouse; ’KT1s, weasel. 
Myosorex Gray, 1838. Insectivora, Soricide. 
Proc. Zool. Soe. London, for 1837, No. rix, 124, June 14, 1838. 
Type: Sorex varius Smuts, from the Cape of Good Hope. 
Mysorex: us, uvós, mouse; +Sorex. 
Myospalax Laxmann, 1769. Glires, Muridze, Myotalpinze. 
Sibirische Briefe, 74-77, 1769; OkzEN, Lehrbuch Naturgesch., 3ter Theil, Zool., 
2te Abth., 907-908, 1816; NorpmMaNN, in Demidoff’s Voy. Russie Mérid., III, 
41, 1840; Branpr, Mem. Acad. Imp. Sci., St.-Pétersbourg, 6° sér., VII, 192, 
196, 205-207, tab. v, figs. 8-18, 1855. 
Type (species not named) from Barnaul ‘an der Grenze der Kalmuckei und 
Mungalei,’ Siberia. 
** Myospalax capite brevi (non rostrato), plantis non calcaneatis." On p. 77 
occurs the following footnote by Beckmann: ‘‘Sollte nicht Myospalax Lax- 
manni, Mus amphibius Linnei seyn? B." ‘‘ From this it is clear that /ax- 
manni as a specific name was not used; it simply stands for ‘of Laxmann’ 
There is no doubt whatever that in 1769 Laxmann, through his editor, 
used Myospalax generically;* but he afterwards relegated it to specific rank 
in 1773 (Mus myospalax, K. Vet. Akad. Handl., XXXIV, 134, 1773), stating 
that his notes to Beckmann were only rough and not intended as final." 
(SHERBORN, in epist., Oct. 27, 1899.) 
Oken’s genus includes Mus talpinus Pallas, and M. myospalax ( — M. aspalax Pallas). 
Nordmann's genus includes Mus aspalax Pallas. 
Myospalax: 0s, t vóc, mouse; 6z&Aa£, mole. 
Myospalax Hermann, 1783. Glires, Spalacidee. 
Tabula Affiny Anim., 83 footnote, table, 1783. 
Type: Myospalax laxmanni Hermann (=Spalax major Erxleben —5. microphthalmus 
Güldenstüdt), from southern Russia. 
**Spalacis genus intelligo, cujus utraque species quidem oculorum vix conspicua 
exilitate, auricularum defectu, fodiente ingenio pedibusque ad id aptis cum 
Talpa convenit; sed quarum altera [Spalax minor Erxleben] ore obtusiore, & 
forma murem amphibium referente muribus, altera [Spalax major Erxleben, 
Myospalax laxmanni] rostro productiore Talpis vicina magis esse videtur." 
(HERMANN.) (Compare Myospalax Laxmann, 1769.) 
Myospalax Brvru, 1846. Glires, Muridee, M yotalpinze. 
“Journ. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, XV, 141, 1846" (fide BrANronp, Fauna Brit. India, 
Mamm., 434—456, 1888-91. 
Type: Georychus fuscocapillus Blyth, from Quetta, Afghanistan (alt. 5,500 ft.). 
Name preoccupied by Myospalax Hermann, 1783, a genus of Spalacid:e. 
Myotalpa (subgenus of Mus) Kerr, 1792. Glires, Murid:e, M yotalpin:e. 
Animal Kingdom, I., Mamm., Syst. Cat., Nos. 516-521 (full genus), 246-248, 
1792; ArLEN, Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist., VII, 181, 183-184, June 19, 1895 
(type fixed). 

*If this view is correct, the name antedates both Siphneus Brants, 1827, and 
Myotalpa Kerr, 1792, and the subfamily to which it belongs should be called Myos- 
palacinze. 
Lilljeborg erroneously states (Syst. Ofv. Gnag. Düggd., 26, 1866) that Mus talpinus is 
is the only species in the group; if this were the case it would transfer the genus 
to the Microtinze. 
