1*12
Breadth at lachrymal notch ■ • •
■Lachrymal notch to tip of premaxillaries
Breadth at c a n i n e s ..................................................
„ „ 2nd incisors.................................................*
1s t .» I . . •
,,, „ temporal angle o f parietals .■
Least breadth between orbits . . . • • •
Posterior palatine margin to tip o f premaxillaries
Greatest breadth between alveolar (external margins) between 2nd and 3rd molars . . ’65
Breadth (external) half-way between posterior incisor and canine . . . . • • '25
Length o f alveolar b o r d e r ................................................................................, • ’ * | p i
Breadth behind origin o f zygomatic arch (inferior aspect o f skull) . ■ •- • • '72
Distance between tympanic bull» (anterior extremity) • • ■ > • ■ •> ■ •
„ „ „ » (posterior „ ) '* • • P
Depth o f premaxillary surface o f skull to anterior extremity of n a s a l s .............................................. '20
„ „ „ ' posterior „ » • • • • ■ f?J§.
„ through posterior margin of palate . ®®
„ „ highest point o f parietal . • . • • •• •' • •' °
Anterior extremity of symphysis to extremity of angular process of lower jaw - • . 1 4 2
n tt „ condyle..............................................................................................®
u n „ coronoid process . V86
Length o f alveolar surface . • • - •' ■ • • • • 8
Depth through coronoid process . . . , .......................................................................................®
„ from base o f corono-condyloid notch . ■ ........................................................... .
This species appears to be distributed over the Malayan peninsula and the
islands in its neighbourhood, such as Sumatra, Borneo, and Java.
Diard and Duvaucel’s figure in the Asiatic Researches appears to have been
copied in a slightly reduced form into the Calcutta Journal of Natural History,
where it is regarded as a Herpestes !
T t t p a t a s p l e n d e d u l a , Gray, PI. VII, f i g s . 10 and 11, s k u l l .
Tupaia splendidula, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond. 1865, p. 822, pi. xii.
Tupaia ruficaudata, Gray, MS. Mivart, Journ. Anat. & Phys. vol. i. 1867, p. 298 (foot-note).
There are two specimens of this species in the British Museum, and Gray states'
that they had at first been regarded as varieties of T. tana, to which in coloration
they have a strong resemblance. Their skulls, however, are perfectly distinct from
that species, and in their general characters approach more to T. ferrugmea than to
T. tana, from which it is at once distinguished by its short muzzle, which is even
shorter than in the former species. As the skull could never be mistaken for that
of T. tana, I pb«.11 merely point out wherein it differs from T. ferrugmea. I t is rather
smaller than the skull of that species, and the facial portion, besides being smaller,
has the premaxillaries bent downwards to a greater degree. The frontal region also
is more flattened, and the breadth across the zygomatic arch is in excess of T.ferrugmea,
as is also the depth of the brain-case through the highest point of the parie-
tals. The rami of the lower jaw are more divergent opposite to the end of the
alveolar border than in T. ferrugmea, which is in keeping with the greater breadth
across the zygomatic arch. The teeth also present certain differences, and one of
the most observable is the greater size of tte first as compared with the second
incisor—a peculiarity which separates it from other Tu/paice. In the upper molar,
which is smaller than that of T. ferrugmea, the cusps are only feebly developed,
and the two following molars have their inner talon flattened instead of being
cuspidate, as in T.ferrugmea, and the anterior external cusp of these teeth is not well
indicated, and the teeth generally are smaller. In the lower jaw the first molar is
more flattened than in T.ferrugmea, and the cusps but little developed, and the two
anterior cusps of the antecedent molars are all but absent, and the inner and
anterior pair of cusps are less prominent than in T. ferrugmea.
The tail of the animal is less than the length of the body and head, and is
blackish chestnut and in strong contrast to the tail of T. ferrugmea, which is, so to
speak, of ai blackish olive, while the tail of T. tana may either be rich chestnut
red or deep black. As in the latter, the fur is especially shining on the flanks and
rump. Dr. Gray describes the species as follows:—
“ Eur dark brown, blackish washed. Tail dark red-brown, pale red beneath,
longer than the body and head; the shoulder strata yellow; no bands between the
shoulders. The head conical, about twice as long as wide behind.”
The head is large, compared with the size of the body; the ears rounded, with
several ridges on the conch, and a well-developed convex tragus not unlike the
human ear.
The palm and soles are bald to the wrist and heels. The skull resembles the
skull of T. ferrugmea in the character of its facial portion.
This form inhabits Borneo.
Measurements of skull of T. splendidula, Gray:
Inches.
Posterior margin of orbito-parietal ridge to tip o f p r em a x illa r ie s .....................................................2-00
Greatest breadth across zygomatic a r c h ........................................................................................................1-17
1 >1 ' » ¿ parietals . . . . . . . . .' ' . '76
Breadth at lachrymal notch . . . . . . . . . . . . . -65.
Lachrymal notch to tip o f p r em a x i l la r i e s ................................................. . . . . *81
Breadth at canines,. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . -35
„ „ second i n c i s o r s ....................................................................................... -26
„ „ first -19
„ „ orbital angle of frontals.............................................................' . . . *60
Least breadth between orbits . *67
Posterior palatine margin to tip of premaxillaries . . . . . . . . 1'04
Greatest breadth between alveolar surface (external margin) between second and third molars P
Breadth (external) half-way between posterior incisor and c a n in e .........................................................'26
Length o f alveolar border . . .. . . . . . ’ .' 1'05
Depth of premaxillary surface to anterior extremity of nasals.........................................'...... .................... ....
» 1 > » . posterior „ „ ‘40
i, through posterior margin of p a l a t e .................................................................... . "46
„ highest point of p a r i e t a l ............................................................................................... '50.
Anterior extremity of symphysis to extremity o f angular process of lower jaw • • • 1'37
» » » )j condyle . . . • ' • •
» » : » „ coronoid process . . • • • • 1'36
Length o f alveolar surface . . . . . "86
Depth through coronoid p r o c e s s ■ . *55
„ from base of'corono-oondyloid notch . . . . . . . . • • • *33