192 mi, V. J. I'oiisixa jiaJou o^ miocene syuiiiEELS. [Feb. 28, 



from the Malay region aiid Borneo, which are both, from the 

 conformation of theii' molars, not to be distinguishecl from 

 Sciuroptcri. I present an enlarged sketch of the fossil molars, 

 together with the first molar of Sc. tepliromdaa. The few small 

 differences shown by the comparison of the fossil with the recent 

 species consist in a somewhat larger deAclopment of the anterior 

 valley, and some minor details in the rugosities of the enamel. 

 The cusps also, bordering the basin-shaped crown, are somewhat 

 stouter in the fossil. 



Length of the four grinders: — va^ 4, m^ 3"5, m^ 3, p, 2-5 millim. 



This is the firsr fossil of Sciurojitents recorded. However, I 

 am of opinion that Sciums smisanieiisk, Lart., from the jMiddle 

 Miocene of Sausan, is but a smaller species of Sciuroptems, judging, 

 at least, from an enlarged figure of a molar published by Eilhol ' . 



Depcret has described and figured as a species of Sciuroides au 

 infeinor molar from the Lower Pliocene of Eoussillon '\ which so 

 much agi'ees A\ith the homologous molar in some Sciuropteri (cf. 

 Sc. volam), that I think I am right in considering the iioussillou 

 tooth a third fossil form of Sciuroptems. 



But this is not all : under the name of AJlomys {Meniscomys), 

 Marsh ^ and Cope ' have made known remains of Eodentia from 

 the Miocene of Oregon. Marsh considers them as " probably 

 related to the Flying-Squirrels,'' adding that the teeth are some- 

 what like those of L^ngulates. 



Cope states' that "the characters of the dentition of tliis 

 genus (i.e. Meniscomi/s) resemble those of the genus Pteromys.^'' 



The figures given by Cope ai'e insufficient for close comparison, 

 as has already been pointed out by Schlosser : but it would 

 ap}iear from the description that one of the species, M. cavatus, 

 approaches Sciuropterus and especialh' Sc. pearsoni. The crowns 

 of the inferior molars are described as basin-shaped ; " and 

 although the enamel is \^rinkled in a complicated manner, the 

 wTiukles are not elevated as in the other species of the genus. 

 Thus the inferior molars more nearly resemble those of ordinary 

 Sciurida' than do those of the other species of Meniscomys " ". In 

 the characters mentioned, these other species would form some 

 approach to Pteromys. 



When comparing the upper teeth of his AUonvjs nitens with those 

 of L^ugulates, Marsh doubtless refers to the angulate conformation 



^ H. Filhol, ' Etudes sur les Mammiferes fossiles de Sansan ' (Paris, 1891), 

 pp. 36, 37, pi. i. fig. 3. 



^ Ch. Deperet, "' Les aniniaux pliocenes de RoussiUon." M^tu. Soc. G-eol. de 

 France, Paleontologie, t. i. (Paris, 1890). p. 49. pi. vii. figs. 39, 39 cr, t. iii. 1892, 

 p. 121, pi. xii. fig. 14. (The text quoted in the last instance refers to an upper 

 molar figured, but tliere is no fig. 14 on pi. xii.) 



' O. 0. Marsh, " Notice of some new Vertebrate Fossils" (Auiei-. Journ. of 

 Science and Arts, vol. xiv. 1877, p. 253). 



^ E. D. Cope, " The Vei-tebrata of the Tertiary ForniatioDS of the West." 

 Book 1. 1883 (Rep. Un. States Geol. Survey of the Territ. vol. iii., Wasliington, 

 1884). 



« Z/.c. p. 827. 



« L. c. p. 831. 



