*-1 have examined all the types which have yielded the various specific appellations
which head this notice, and do not find that they differ in any way from each
other.
S c iu r u s s u b l i n e a t u s , Waterhouse.
Sciurus sublineatus, Waterhouse, Proc. Zool. “Soc. 1888, p. 19 ; Gray, Hand-List B. M. 1848,
p. 142 ; Schihz, Syn. Mamm. vol. ii. 1845, p. 42 ; Blyth, Joum. As. Soe. Beng. vol. xvi. 1847,
p. 875-; Cat. Mamm. Mus. As. Soc. Beng. 1868, p. 107 ; Horsfield, Cat. Mamm. E. Ind. Co.’s
Mus. 1851, p. 151 ; Jerdon, Mamm. Ind. 1867, p. 178.
Scinrus (Funambulus) delessertii, Gervais, Bull, de la Soc. Philom. 1841, dans l’Instit. Journ. Gen.
des Soc. Sc. 1st Sect. No. 886, May 1841 ; Guerin, Mag. de Zool. 1842, Mammif. pis. xxxi.
and xxxh. figs. 1-4 (skull) ; Wagner, Schreber, Sàugeth.' Suppl. vol. iii. 1845, p. 205; Schinz,
Syn. Mamm. vol. ii. 1845, p. 48.
Sciurus irilineatus, Blyth, Journ. As. Soc. Beng, vol. xx. 1851, p. 165.
Macroxus sublineatus, Gray, Ann, and Mag. N at. Hist. 1867, vol. xx. p. 280.
This little squirrel is smaller than the palm squirrel. I t has very finely
grizzled, rather dark olive-brown fur, the lineation of the upper parts being obscure,
and reaching only from the shoulder to the commencement of the sacral region.
The tail is concolorous with the upper parts, or darker, and it is obscurely annulated.
The dorsal lines are seven in number, three being pale and four dark. The under
parts are variable, but they are always dusky and never bright coloured, and vary
from grey to dusky brown washed with rufous.
I t inhabits the mountains of Southern India and of Ceylon. The body is
5 inches long, and the tail is 4r50.
The type is in the British Museum, also a specimen of S. delesserti presented
by Delessert himself; and the two are in no way distinguishable the one from the
other.
I have examined both the types which have yielded the above synonymy.
S c lU R U S LAYARDI, Blyth.
Sciurus layardi, Blyth, Journ. As. Soc. Beng. vol. xviii. 1849, p. 602 ; Cat. Mamm. As. Soc. Mus.
18'63, p. 107 ; Kelaart, Fauna Zeylanica, 1852, p. 58 ; Layard, Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist,
vol. ix. -1852, p. 885 ; Jerdon, Mamm. Ind. 1867, p. 172.
Macroxus (Talmista) layardi, Gray, Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist. 1867., vol. xx. p. 280,.
This species is about the same size as the palm squirrel, but in its general
colour it approaches S. sublineatus; but the yellow dorsal lines, especially the
mesial line, are much blighter than in that species, while the lateral pale streaks
are not very well defined, but still much more so than in S. sublineatus. In some
specimens, the mesial line is bright orange, extending from the nape even on to the
base of the tail, and, in such instances, the two intervening dark bands are jet
black, whereas, in those squirrels in which these light-coloured bands are pale, the
intervening dark bands differ only from the surrounding fur in being darker, but
are distinctly grizzled like it. The general colour is dark olive-brown on the upper
parts, The caudal hairs are four times alternately banded, orange and black, the
first colour being basal; and the first three rings are narrow, while the last black
band is broader than the combined three, and effectually hides them, its apex being
narrowly tipped with greyish or pale yellowish, which gives the tail the appearance
as if it were washed by these colours. The tip ,of the tail is generally black. The
under parts and the inside of the limbs are bright reddish-chestnut, and this colour
extends all along the under surface of the tail, where the hairs are distichously
arranged. There is a narrow rufous area around the eye. The whiskers are black.
T , « . Inches.
Length of a male, muzzle to v e n t .................................................. _ 0.qq
Tail without hairs . • .................................................. 5-75
' '•» ’!*> » ) ' ' ' '' 7-60
This species inhabits Ceylon.
S c iu r t j s b e r d m o r e i , Blyth,
Sciums berdmorei, Blyth, Journ. As. Soc. Beng. vol. xvii. 1849, p. 608; ibid, vol. xliv. 1875
ex. no. p. 87; Cat. Mamm. As. Soc. Mus, 1868, p. 106.
Sciurus mouhotii, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc, 1861, p. 187.
Macroxus berdmorei, Gray, Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist. 1867, vol. xx. p. 279.
Sciurus pyrrocephalus, A. M.-Edwards, Rev. e t Mag, de Zool. Juillet 1867, vol. xix. p. 225 • Rech
des Mammif. 1871, p. 168, '
This spedes is considerably larger than S. tristriatw, to which i t is nearly
allied. I t measures from the muzzle to the rent 7'75 inches, and the tail, without
.the hair, 5 inches.
The general colour of the fur is brownish, with a distinct rufous tint on the
middle of the back. I t is punctulated with yellowish on the head, on the sides of
the face and body, and on the outside of the limbs, and with rich rufous .on the
middle of the back. The hairs 'are dark grey at the base, succeeded by four
alternate yellow and black rings, the tip of the hair being always black, or dark
brown, and constituting the last of these rings. The terminal ring varies greatly
in its size, forming a broad tip in some, and a mere point in other hairs. A few
of the hairs are wholly black, especially on the back, and there they tend to occur
•m groups, conferring a black, clouded aspect to that region. There is an obscure
narrow black line along the middle of the back from between the shoulders but it
only extends about half-way along the trunk. On the sides of the back, a yellow
line begins at the shoulder and is prolonged backwards to the articulation of the
femur, where it ceases; there is a broad black band along its under side and of the
same length as itself, and, along the upper margin, there is also an obscure dusky
line. There is a broad, pale yellow, linear area below the former of these two dark
bands, the portion of the side below it being concolorous with the thighs and fore
limbs. The rufous area of the back is confined between the two uppermost yellow
lines.