860 ME. B. LYDBKEER OS TttE EXTINCT [DeC. 3, 



EXPLANATION OF PLATE XLVII. 



These figures have been drawn by Mr. Edwin Wilson from the living specimens. 

 The colours were very carefully copied, but it was not thought necessary to 

 reproduce the sizes and shapes of the individuals. The figures are about twice 

 the natural size. 



With the exception of figs. 18, 22, and 27, which represent females, all were 

 taken from males. 

 Figs. 1-6. Series illustrating the change of ground-colour from red to greenish 



grey. 

 Figs. 1, 7-12 are a series illustrating the progressive invasion of black pigment. 

 Figs. 13-18. Various forms illustrating diminution and increase in amount of 



black pigment. 

 Figs. 19-24. Forms with light undersides. 

 Figs. 25-30. Unconformable cases. 

 Figs. 25, 26, 28, 29, and 30 show specimens having light undersides, though 



they have transverse black markings in the position of the spots. 

 Figs. 27 and 28 are peculiar in the fact that, though melanic forms, the 



ground-colour is yellowish buff instead of red. 

 Fig. 30. Underside of intermediate colour, associated with a sliglit indication 



of transverse black marking. 

 Fig. 31. Specimen having right elytron red ard the left yellow. 

 Fig. 32. Specimen having patclies of yellow on red elytra. 



The undersides were black in the case of figs. 1-18, 27, 31, and 32 ; light in 

 the case of figs. 19-26 ; of intermediate colour in the case of figs. 28-30. 



A leg is drawn in some cases, and the small square beside it represents the 

 colour of the underside without shading. The elytra are all coloured as if they 

 had no high light on them, in order to give the colour more correctly, but 

 actually they reflect a bright light. 



4. Ou the Affinities of the so-called Extinct Giant 

 Dormouse of Malta. By R. Lydekker. 



[Beceived October 2, 1895.] 



It has always been a matter of some surprise that while the 

 other extinct Dormice agree with the living members of the 

 family in their comparatively small size, the rodent from the 

 Pleistocene of Malta assigned to the genus Myoxus is a much 

 larger animal, agreeing approximately in dimensions with the 

 Oriental Sciurus bicolor. Eecently Mr. Andrews, of the British 

 Museum, told me that he believed this so-called Dormouse was not 

 a member of the Myoxidce at all ; and this induced me to under- 

 take a re-examination of the specimens in the Museum, with the 

 result that I am quite convinced of the correctness of his opinion. 



Myoxus melitensis was first described by Leith Adams in the 

 Journ. E. Dublin Soc. vol. iv. p. 18 (1863), and more fully in the 

 Ti'ans. Zool. Soc. vol. vi. pp. 307 et seq. ; while some of its remains 

 were also figui'ed in plate iii. of his ' Notes on the Nile Valley 

 and Malta ' (1870). The name Myoxus cartel also occurs in the 

 same memoirs, although this appears to be a synonym of the 

 former. Among the remains figured from Malta there is, however, 

 a lower jaw ^ assigned to the young of M. melitensis, which appears 



» ' Nile Valley and Malta,' pi. iii. fig. 7. 



