54 E. T. Neidon — Spermophilus beneath Boulder-Clay. 



Uufortunately, I have been unable to see any skeleton of Spermo- 

 pliilus Altaicus in order to compare tbe vertebra (Fig. 9) and foot 

 bones (Figs. 10 — 13) found with the teeth. The caudal vertebree of 

 the S. Mongolicus in the Eoyal College of Surgeons, vs'^hich is the 

 nearest form I have been able to compare the fossil vertebra with, 

 are rather smaller, and of different proportions ; but so nearly the 

 same that there is every probability of the fossil being found to 

 agree with the S. Altaicus, when recent skeletons of that species are 

 available for comparison. The common Squirrel, with which I was 

 in the first place led to compare these fossil remains, has the caudal 

 vertebrae of quite a different form. With regard to the foot-bones, 

 the proximal and middle phalanges (Figs. 10 — 11) are shorter and 

 thicker than obtains in the Squirrel ; while, although rather larger, 

 they have the same proportions as in the Spermophilus Mongolicus. 

 The ungual phalanges (Figs. 12 — 13) likewise agree with the 

 Spermophilus ; those of the Squirrel being more curved and com- 

 pressed. 



The comparison of these fossil remains seems to me to indicate 

 such a much closer agreement with the S. Altaicus (=z S. Eversmanii) 

 than with any other available recent form, that I feel justified in 

 referring them provisionally to that species ; and none of the 

 characters presented by these fossils militates against the probability 

 of this allocation being correct. Dr. Nehring, in his interesting 

 paper on Spermophilus, above referred to, says, " All the fossil 

 Spermophili at present found show, that in the period immediately 

 succeeding the Glacial epoch, and perhaps also in the last part of 

 that period, the genus lived in numbers in the plains and hilly 

 regions of Middle Europe and extended • into France, Belgium, 

 England, and Denmark." To this we may now add, that, the genus 

 is known to have existed in East Anglia at the beginning of the 

 Glacial Period, and before the deposition of the Till. 



EXPLANATION OF PLATE IT. 



Spermophilus Altaicus ? from the Arctic Freshwater Bed, beneath the Glacial Till, 

 near Mundesley. 



Fig. 1. Left upper molar (m. 1 or m. 2) grinding surface. 

 ,, la. Same tooth, view of inner side. 

 ,, 2. Right upper molar (m. 1. or m. 2) grinding surface. 

 ,, 3 & 4. Left and right lower premolar 4, ,, ,, 



,, 5 & 6. ,, ,, true molar 1 ,, ,, 



,, 7 & o. ,, ,, ,, 2, ,, ,, 



,, 9. Caudal vertebra, seen from below. 

 , , 9fl. Same specimen, front view. 



,, 10. Proximal phalanx of a digit,, seen from above, 

 ,,11. Middle ,, ,, ,, 



,, 12. Distal _ ,, „ „ 



,, 12a. Same specimen, side view. 



,, 13. Another smaller distal phalanx, side view. 



Figures 1 to 8 are enlarged 6 times ; and 9 to J 3 are enlarged 4 times. 



