382 



MURID^— CRICETIN^ 



[Sub-family Cricetince} 



HAMSTERS 2 AND WHITE-FOOTED MICE. 



This large sub-family is specially characteristic of both 

 Americas, where it almost certainly originated, but occurs also 

 from Eastern China to Central Europe and in South Africa. 



It is first known from the lower Eocene of North America 

 [Eumys, Leidy, 1857). In the lower Oligocene (Quercy) of 

 Europe it is represented by four species of Cricetodon (Schlosser, 

 PalcEontographica, xxxi., 1884, 96-97), some of which survived 

 in Germany and France until the middle Miocene (see 



mi 



Fig. 52. — Right Upper Cheek-Teeth 

 OF Criceius runionensis, from the Pliocene 

 of West Runton, Norfolk (crown view, 

 magniiied). From Geol. Mag., March 

 1909, III, by kind permission of Dr 

 Henry Woodward and E. T. Newton. 



— »Z3 — 



Fig. 53.— Cheek-Teeth of Phodojmssan- 

 fordi, from the Pleistocene of Hutton 

 Cave, Somersetshire ; a, left upper ; b, 

 right lower (crown view ; six times life 

 size ; after Sanford). 



Forsyth Major, Geol. Mag., August 1899, 372), but have not 

 been identified from Britain. Cricetus (Leske, 1779) itself is 

 found first in the middle Pliocene of Europe. One species, 

 C. runtonensis (Newton, Geol. Mag., March 1909, 1 10-12) 

 occurs in the late English Pliocene of the West Runton 

 Upper Freshwater Bed ; it was slightly larger than the 

 recent C. cricetus, and presents some dental peculiarities. 

 Another,* of mouse-like size, from the Pleistocene of Hutton, 

 Mendip Caves, Somerset, was referred by Sanford {Quart. 



' Extinct in Britain. 2 p^ German word of uncertain origin. 



2 Perhaps near Pomel's C. musculus, described {Catalogue M^thodique, 32, 1853) 

 from Brfeche de Coudes, Allien Central France. 



