THE GIA \T SQUIRRELS OF INDIA, BURMA & CEYLON. 887 



There is a flat skin in Uie National Collection collected by Mr. W. M. 

 Daly in the Shevroy Hills. It seems possible, therefore, that it occurs 

 in the Peninsula, but whether it is found on the same ground as 

 R. maxima or not remains to be shown. 



4. Ratufa dealhata, Blanf. 

 1897. Schirus i/idicus deatbatus^ Blanford, Journ. B.N.H.S , XL. 



]). aoi. 



Colour. — General colour of the back * cream buff' darkening to 

 ' ochraceous buff ' posteriorly, the individual hairs ' drab ' for half 

 their length basally, narrow paler line along middle of back ; of under 

 surface a buffy white. Ears clothed with long tawny ochraceous hairs 

 forming a tuft. Face, forearms, hands and feet buffy white. Proximal 

 ^ of tail coloured like lower baclv, but the distal pale portions of hairs 

 being proportionately shorter, looking darker, remainder of tail white, 

 individual hairs white to their bases. 



Sku'.L- — Short and broad, as compared with indica ; Nasals scarcely 

 narrowed posteiiorly. 



Dimensuns. — Head and body, 370 ; tail, 417 ; hiudfoot, 77 ; skull : 

 greatest length, 72 : basilar length, 55 ; zygomatic breadth, 47 ; 

 nasals, 24*5 ; diastema, 15 ; braincase breadth, 31 ; interorbital 

 breadth, 30'5 ; upper molar series, 14*''. 



Synonvmy. — Blanford described this animal doubtfully as a sub- 

 species of indica^ to which it is undoubtedly very closely allied. In 

 view of its totally different colour and the difference in the shape of 

 the nasals, a character which ajipears to be constant in the other races 

 of indica, I have ranked this as a distinct species. 



Distribution. — I first found this animal in the Forests at the North 

 extremity of the Surat Dangs. Its range was apjiarently very 

 limited, extending over little more tl an 100 square miles. A friend, 

 who has later visited the locality, tells me the race is now extinct, the 

 last individual having been killtd and eaten in the famine of 1900. 



5. Ratufa indica, Erxl. 

 1777. Scivrus indicus, Erxleben, Syst. Kegn. An. p. 420. 

 1777. Sciurus purpureus, Zimmeimann, ISpec. Zool. Geog. Quad. 

 p. 538. 



1785. Sciurus bomhayunus^ Boddaert, Elench. An. p. 117. 



1831. Sciurus elphinstonii^ Sykes, P. Z, S. p. 103. 

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