no E. T. Newton— Hamster from the Norfolk Forest Bed. 



relations of land and sea, Pohjdora has, it appears, sufficient importance 

 to warrant tlie publication of this brief note, to the end that other 

 field-geologists and collectors may keep their eyes open for such 

 occurrences as the very interesting one made known by Mr. Kichardson. 



IV. — Hamstee Remains from the Nokfolk Forest Bed. 

 By E. T. Newton, F.E.S., F.G S. 



MR. A. SAVIjST, of Cromer, has been kind enough to send me for 

 examination a large number of small vertebrate remains which he 

 has recently collected from the Tipper Freshwater Eed of the Norfolk 

 Forest Bed Series at West Runton. Among these there is one little 

 specimen which deserves to be recorded, as it represents a genus not 

 hitherto recognized in the ' Forest Bed '. The specimen is a right 

 maxilla with three grinders in place, indubitably belonging to the 

 genus Cricetus ; in size it is distinctly larger than the common 

 Hamster Cricetus vulgaris {= C. frumentarius), which is the largest 

 species of the genus living at the present day. Only once before has 

 Cricetus been recognized in Britain, W. A. Sanford ^ having identified 

 from the Hutton Cave, Mendip Hills, remains of a small mouse-like 

 species which he referred to Cricetus so7igarus. 



Mr. Savin's specimen is a right maxilla, which, in its present 

 condition, measures 14-5 mm. in length ; it has the three molars in 

 place and in an excellent state of preservation. Towards the front 

 of the bone, on the outer side, is seen the base of the jugal process, 

 and on the inner side the palatal plate, which, though not quite 

 perfect, shows much of its oral surface and the floor of the right nasal 

 passage. The greatest length of the crowns of the three teeth is 

 9'3 mm., the alveoli measuring a little more (10'3 mm.). The 

 grinding surfaces of the teeth are just sufficiently worn to show 

 their patterns in a remarkably clear manner (see Figure), and when 

 examined with a strong lens, or, better still, with a low power under 

 the microscope, the series of islands formed by the enamel, which 

 extend along the middle of each tooth, form a very striking feature. 

 One's attention is also attracted to the deep and sharply defined pits, 

 which are seen between the cusps, both on the inner and outer sides 

 of the crown. The outer cusps are more prominent than the inner 

 ones, and this feature is most marked on the anterior tooth and least 

 on the posterior one. The anterior tooth has evidently had the usual 

 six cusps, but the greater part of the anterior inner one is wanting. 

 The anterior and outer cusp is somewhat larger than either of the 

 others (or those on the other teeth), and this causes an outward 

 projection of the front of the crown unlike what is seen in the living 

 Hamster. The second tooth has four cusps approximately equal in 

 size, and the third tooth has four cusps, the hindermost pair of which 

 are markedly smaller than the others, and consequently this tooth is 

 reduced in width posteriorly. The inner cusps are all a little in 

 advance of the outer ones, so that on the worn surface they seem to 



1 W. A. Sauford, Quart. Jouru. Geol. Soc, 1870, vol. xxvi, p. 128, aad Proc. 

 Somersets, Nat. Hist. Soc, 1870, vol. xv, p. 56. 



