Sub-Family MYOXINAE. 
Molars rooted unequal. Post-orbital process wanting. No coecum. Tail variable ; hairy. Ante-orbital foramen 
situated in the anterior base of the zygomatic arch, small, rounded. 
I have introduced a short notice of the Myoxinae for the purpose of completing the history 
of the Sciuridae, although no species are known as inhabiting North America. They have 
quite a general resemblance to the squirrels, hut differ in many important points, in fact some 
authors place them among the Muridae. 
The incisors are laterally compressed ; the molars unequal in size, with the crowns not simply 
tubercular but complicated ; the series on each side are widely separated and parallel. 
There is no post-orbital process in the present sub-family, so conspicuous in the Sciurinae. 
The zygomatic process of the maxillary consists of a broad thin plate extending from the plane 
of the palate to the upper surface of the skull; this has a moderately large ante-orbital foramen. 
Incisive foramina partly in the maxillary, partly in the intermaxillary ; palatine process of the 
maxillary terminating opposite the penultimate molar, followed by a narrow palatine process 
of the palatine bone. The interparietal bone is much extended transversely, so as to reach 
the temporal bones on either side, instead, as in the squirrels, of not extending beyond the 
Lower jaw with the branches more diverging than in the squirrels ; the descending ramus 
forming a quadrate process, which is sometimes perforated. The lower posterior angle of this 
process is incurved, and either angular or rounded. The upper posterior angle is acute and 
twisted outwards. 
The anterior small molar of the squirrels is wanting ; the crowns are traversed by transverse 
ridges ; the teeth varying with the genera, from a quite simple structure to a very complicated 
one. 
The intestinal canal differs from that of all other rodents in having no coecum. The gall 
bladder is present. 
The form of the skull in some respects approximates to that of the Dipodinae. 
The genera of this sub-family are Graphiurus, Eliomys, Glis, and Muscardinus —all belonging 
to Europe, Central Asia, and Africa. 
A species of Myoxus was described many years ago by Reich, 1 under the name of M. virginicus , 
and said to have been brought alive from somewhere near the base of the Blue Mountains of 
Virginia. The animal was about as large as the house mouse ; the body measuring 3 inches, the 
tail 1J. The tail was hairy and tufted at the tip; the body reddish brown, paler beneath. 
The figure appears to represent a true Myoxus, and certainly differs from any animal now 
known to inhabit the United States. It is, however, not impossible that such a species may exist 
within our limits, and have hitherto escaped detection, although this is not very probable. 
Reich, Beschreibung einer neuer Art von Schlafer; Mag. Gesellschaft Naturf. Freunde, zu Berlin, 1810, 243; tab. viii. 
