Mr. E. L. Layard's Rambles in Ceylon. 335 



pared it with that, writes, that it differs in having the caudal hairs, 

 except at the extreme tip and base of the tail, much edged with 

 white. It wants the black moustache and border under the eye, but 

 has in lieu thereof a large triangular patch behind it, extending up to 

 the ear, at the base of which is a rusty spot ; the Hmbs are of a more 

 fulvous white. S. macrourus (Forster) I had alive for some time. 

 He was very tame and docile, and fond of being caressed. He 

 would thrust his red nose through his cage-bars if any one passed 

 him, and endeavour to attract his attention ; if he failed in this, he 

 would chatter vehemently, and his voice was peculiarly harsh and 

 grating. His chief amusement consisted in cUmbing up one side of 

 his cage, and throwing himself with a complete somersault to the 

 other. His motions were very rapid, and he invariably carried his 

 tail curled on one side ; this I think he did to take care of it, for in 

 the jungle the tail is carried straight. 



We have five other Sciuri in Ceylon : Sc. tristriatus (Waterhouse), 

 Sc. Brodiei (Blyth and Layard), S. Layardi (Blyth), S. Kelaarti 

 (Layard), and S. trilineatus (Waterhouse) ; besides these there are 

 two flying squirrels, Pteromys oral (Tickell) and Sciuropteims Lay- 

 ardi (Kelaart). Sc. tristriatus (W.) is common all over the low 

 country to the south-west of the island. ^S*. Brodiei (B. & L.) displaces 

 it at Putlam, and is equally abundant in the north. It nearly re- 

 sembles S. tristriatusy but is paler, and the tail is furnished with a 

 long pencil tuft of hair, though this is easily lost in dried specimens. 

 The voice too is far more shrill. The cry of these Httle animals more 

 resembles the notes of a bird than the voice of a mammal ; it re- 

 minds me of that note of the chaffinch (dear old home bird !) which 

 has got it the name of "Pm^." When the little S. Brodiei is 

 alarmed at a prowling cat or snake, he clings to his favourite palmirab 

 tree, head down and legs sprawling out, chattering defiance from his 

 secure elevation, in the following language {crescendo prestissimo) : 

 *' Chink, chink, chink, chink, chir-r-r-r-r, chink, chink, chir, chir, 

 chink." The enemy moves — squg darts round the tree like lightning, 

 head down again and tail flapping furiously (molto prestissimo) — 

 chick, chick, chick — and now the chorus is taken up by every one 

 within hearing. Every bird understands the signal, and is on the qui 

 vive, and the spoiler's chance of a victim is small. Their cry to their 

 young is a soft whistling note, very liquid and modulated. I first 

 discovered this species in 1847, in the same year I discovered 

 Sc. Layardi (B.), in the Ambegamoa range of hills, only one speci- 

 men of which has hitherto been procured ; I shot it in dense jungle, 

 being attracted to it by the voice. Not having any written descrip- 

 tion with me, I give you Blyth' s : — " Size of S. tristriatus, but the 

 colour very much darker, nearly as in S. trilineatus, but inclining 

 more to ashy than to fulvous, except on the head and flanks : lower 

 parts ferruginous, paler on the breast : middle of the back nigrescent, 

 with a strongly contrasting narrow, bright, light, fulvous streak in 

 the middle, reaching from between the shoulders to near the tail, and 

 an obscure stripe on either side, barely reaching to the croup. Tail 

 ferruginous along its centre, the hairs broadly margined with black 



