184 Annals of the Sou t It African Museum. 



and Asiatic species, in the genus Xerus, in consequence of their 

 resemblance to the members of that genus in certain characters of 

 the molars and skull. 



If, however, it is necessary to separate these squirrels from the old 

 genus Sciurus, it seems better, as proposed by Mr. Thomas, to form 

 a quite new genus for them , as the old genus Xerus is a very compact 

 group separated from Sciiirns by very definite though perhaps some- 

 what superficial characters. 



FUNISCIUEUS CIPAPI, THE GREY-FOOTED SQUIRREL. 



ns cipapi, A. SMITH, App. Eeport Exped. Explor. S. Africa, 

 p. 43 (1836); ID., Illustr. Zool. S. Afr. Mamm., pi. v. (1849); 

 LAYARD, Cat. Mamm. S. Afr. Mus., p. 46 (1862) ; JENTINK, Notes 

 Leyd. Mus., iv., p. 26 (1882); LORENTZ, Ann. k.k. Hofmus. Wien, 

 ix. notiz., p. 65 (1894) [Limpopo Eiver Banks] ; DE WINTON, Ann. 

 Mag. N. H. (6), xix., p. 573 (1897). 



Description. General colour speckled yellowish grey and black ; 

 fur short, soft, and close, most of the hairs on the back and sides, 

 black at the base and also ringed subterminally with the same colour, 

 below from the chin much paler, nearly white, and hairs not ringed ; 

 whiskers black ; iris black ; ears oval and moderate, measuring about 

 7 in. in length, covered with sparse hairs ; limbs paler than the 

 back with quite short curved claws ; tail nearly as long as the head 

 and body, bushy, and very dark, composed of long pale yellow 

 hairs, each with a double ring of black ; skull with the palate extend- 

 ing only as far as the level of the posterior molars ; upper incisors 

 orange-coloured, ungrooved, premolars 2/1, the anterior upper ones 

 small, molars somewhat resembling those of Xcrus capensis. 



Dimensions (from the skin of a female). Head and body 8'50 ; 

 tail 6-50 without, 7'75 with terminal hairs ; hind foot 1*72 ; from ear 

 to nose 1*53 ; skull length about 1'70, breadth 1-0; upper cheek 

 teeth -28. 



Distribution. This species was first obtained by Sir Andrew Smith 

 on the banks of the Limpopo Eiver, in what is now the Eustenberg 

 district of the Transvaal ; it is also recorded from Damaraland and 

 the Zambesi Eiver ; north of this it has been obtained from Nyassa- 

 land, but the squirrels from East Africa usually identified with this 

 species have recently been shown by de Winton to be referable to 

 other species. 



Type of the species now in the British Museum. 



