Syn. Mamm. B.M. 1845, p. 88 ; Blyth, Journ. As. Soc. Beng. vol. xvi. 1847, p. 874; ibid. vol. xx.
1855, p. 166; Cat. Mamm. As. Soc. Mus. 1868, p. 106; Kelaart, Faun. Zeylanica, 1852,
p. 52; Jerdon, Mamm. Ind. 1867, p. 170 ; Zelebor, Beise der Freg. Novara, Saugeth. 1868,
p. 24.
Sciurus penicillatus, Leach, Zool. Misceli, vol. i. 1814, p. 6, pi. i. ; Desmarest, Nouv. Diet. d'Hist.
Nat. vol. x.1817, p. 112; Blyth, Journ. As. Soc. Beng. vol. xvi. 1847, p. 874'; Horsfield, Cat.
Mamm. E. Ind. Co.’s Mus. 1851, p. 152.
Macroxus (Palmista) palmarum, Gray, Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist. vol. xx. 1867, p. 279.
Macroxus {Palmista) penicillatus, Gray, Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist. vol. xx. 1867, p. 279.
This specie^ is smaller and paler than S. tristriatus, Waterhouse. The pale
lines extend more on to the neck and head than do the corresponding lines of
S. tristriatus, and, unlike that species, the head, and the scrotal and anal regions, are
not red, neither is the under surface of the tail of that colour which distinguishes
S. tristriatus. The latter has only three well-defined, yellow, dorsal lines, whereas
in S. palmarum there may he said to he five; but, as pointed out by Waterhouse,
the outer white line on each side of the body is joined on the lower side by so pale
a colour that it is not very evident as a line, but there is no white on the flanks
of S. tristriatus, nor tendency to form white lines on the flanks, which are
always grizzled like the thighs, the most external line being black. The differences
manifested by the skulls are referred to under the allied form.
S. palma/rum measures from 6-50 to 7 inches in length of body, from muzzle to
vent, and the tail from 5-50 to 6 inches.
Leach first described this species as S. penicillatus, but afterwards, in the same
volume, regarded it as identical with S. palmarum, ór as a variety of that species, the
chief character being the pencilling of the tail ; but as no squirrel with a tufted tail
has hitherto been discovered in India, and as it is highly improbable that such a
species has been overlooked, the likelihood is that it was a specimen changing its
fur. The figure given by Leach represents a squirrel agreeing more with S. palma-
rum as defined by Waterhouse than with S. tristriatus. Blyth also1 remarks that
amnng very many continental examples of S. tristriatus which he had seen, he had
never observed one with a terminal tuft to its tail..
This species occurs in Bengal, and ranges north-west to the Punjab and southwards
to Central India ; but it is not represented in Ceylon, and its place in Southern
Tnflia. is taken by S. tristriatus, Lesson.
Scixtrtjs tristbiatus, Waterhouse.
F u n a m b u lu s in d i c u s , Lesson, 111. Zool. 1831, pi. xliii.
Sciurus tristriatus, Waterhouse, Charlesworthos Mag. Nat. Hist. 1887, p. 496; Proc. Zool. Soc.
183:9; p. 118; Blyth, Journ. As. Soc. Beng. vol. xvi. 1847, pp. 874 and 1011; ibid. vol. xviii.
1849, p. 601 ; ibid. vol. xx. 1851, p. 166 ; vol. xxi. 1852, p. 350 ; Cat. Mamm. As. Soc. Béng.
Mus. 1863, p. 106; Jerdon, Mamm. Ind. 1867, p. 171; Kelaart, Fauna Zeylanica, 1852,
p. 51.
Sciurus penicillatus, Gray, Hand-List Mamm. B. M. 1843, p. 141.
; 1 Journ. As. Soc. Beng. vol. xvi. 1847, p. 874.
Sciurus trilineatus, Kelaart, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1850, p. 157; Fauna Zeylanica, 1852, p. 54.
Sdtmis palmarwn, EUiot, Madras Joum. Lit. and So. vol. x. 188?, p. 218; Kelaart, Vanna
Zeylanica, 1852, p. 19.
Sciwm Irodiei, Blyth, Journ. As. Soo. vol. xviii. p. 602,1849; ibid. vol. xx. 1861, p. 166; ibid.
vol. r r i. 1862, p. 860; Layard, Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist. vol. ix. 1862, p. 886.
Sciwrus kelaa/rbi, Layard, Journ. As. Soo. Mus. vol; xvi. 1847, p. 602; ibid. vol. xx. 1861, p. 166;
ibid. vol. xari. 1862, p. 850; Kelaart, Fauna Zeylanica, 1852, p. 68.
Macroxuspcnicillaim, Gray, Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist. vol. xx. 1867, ,p. 279.
Sciurm dimumim, A. M.-Edwards, Bev. et Mag. de Zool. 1867, vol. xix. p 226- Eech des
Mammif. 1871, p. 168.
This squirrel attains to a larger size than S. p&lMia/rwn. I t manifests considerable
variation, especially in the colour of the dark lines of the hack. In some
these lines are almost rufous, while in others they are dark brown or black throughout
their whole extent, or black only from the shoulder to the lumbar region, the
two mesial lines being rufous in the rest of their extent, or the black may he distributed
irregularly in patches. The bands generally extend from the shoulder to
the root of the tail, hut in some they stop short of that distance. The prevailing
colour of the sides and of the limbs varies from greyish-olive to olive-brown, or
even brownish. The head generally is more or less tinged with rufous, especially
on its upper surface, but one Madras specimen has the sides of the face and the
whole iOf the upper surface of the head, from the muzzle to the ears, and the anal
region and the under surface of the tail, bright rufous. In a Sikkim specimen,
the head also is rather bright rufous over the muzzle. The under parts are white,
but in some specimens the line of union of the dorsal and ventral colours is marked
by a pale, yellowish line. The caudal hairs are handed with four alternate .rings of
either pale or rich orange-yellow .and black, the first of these colours being basal;
the first three rings are narrow, and the terminal black band nearly as broad, as the
united three, and it is broadly white-tipped.
Inches.
The body measures ^ . _ ' . _ 8-00^
Tail without hairs . . . . , . t _ # g.gg
„ with hairs . . . . f v #
This species occurs in Ceylon and Southern India, and on the Nilgiris even
as high as Ootacamund; it has also been obtained in Midnapore, and it ranges
northward to the Himalaya.
Lesson was the first naturalist who figured and described this form, from a
Pondicherry specimen, hut he confounded it with the common palm squirrel.
Waterhouse was the first who clearly distinguished between S. palma/rum and
S. tristriatus. He observes that the skull of the latter differs from the former
“ in being a little larger, considerably broader in proportion, and in having the
upper surface less convex; the post-orbital process is larger, the width between the
orbits is greater, and the nasal portion is more suddenly contracted, the nasal hones
are longer, and narrower posteriorly.” 1
1 Proc. Zool. Soc. 1889, p. 118.