( 2G ) 



KEVISED DETEEMINATIONS OF THREE OF THE 

 NATUNA RODENTS 



By OLUFIELU Til M A 8. 



SINCE the pajitn' ou the Mammals of the Natiina Islands b\' JMr. llartcit and 

 myself* was published I have been put in a better position to correctly 

 identify certain of the species there mentioned, partly by the receipt of farther 

 material from ueighbouring localities, and partly by having been able in the meantime 

 to conijiletely revise the Borneau Muridae in the British Museum colloctiou. 

 The following corrections in the Xatuna list prove to be necessary : — 



No. 23, p. 658, Mus hellwaldi .Tent., 



should be Mns rajah Thos.,t a species of which, besides those from the Natunas, a 

 considerable number of specimens are in the Museum collection from Borneo, 

 Pahnvui), Labuan, etc. Tliey differ from the real .)/. hfllwaldi of Celebes by being 

 all exceedingly spiny, a character which, iiowever variable elsewhere, is evidently in 

 this case one of sufficient constancy to be looked upon as specific. 



No. 29, }). 6o9, Sciurus lowi Thos. (not Gray). 



The Natuna representative of S. lou-i appears to l)c sufHcieutly different to 

 deserve a subspeeific name. The specimen in the British Museum has now been 

 skinned out of spirit, and had its skull prepared. Unfortunately there was and is 

 still a doubt as to whether its colour has not been reddened by the spirit, as seems 

 to have hap])ened with some of the other sjiecimens scut home by Mr. Everett. 

 Certain yellows aii[iear to have been turned into red, wliile other colours have 

 remained unaffected. 



The skull of the present animal shows jirecisely the peculiar long muzzle of that 

 of S. lowi, and agrees in nearly all respects, but is decidedly smaller, and the 

 postorbital processes are longer and slenderer. 



Externally the Natuna squirrel is distinguished by its smaller size, shorter feet, 

 and also by its longer ear, which in flie typical variety is a mere low rim, while 

 the Natuna subspecies has a distinct upstanding conch. 



Should the colour be the natural one. it may be defined as grizzled rufous 

 instead of olive ; the under surface white, with a strong rufous wash, esiiecially in 

 the genital region ; anteorbital spots rufous instead of yellow ; no black patch 

 behind ear. 



Tins snuiil foiiu might be called S. lowi natunensis. 



Dimensions of an a,dn\t male in skin: — Head and body, l.)2 mm.; tail, ST : 

 hind-foot, 31-8. Ear : from notch, 12 ; above crown, 6. Skull : greatest length, 30-5 ; 

 basal length, 31-3 ; greatest breadth, 22. Nasals : length, 10-7 ; interorbital breadth, 



• .Vav. Zml., i., p. ti52 ( 1894). 



t Ann. Mag. N. II. (fi), xiv., pp. l.-il ami 164 (1894). 



