THE GIANT SQUIRRELS OF INDIA, BURMA & CE YLON, 891 



Sf/nnni/mi/. — The name macruraides "was published first by Hodg- 

 son in 1844 (Calc. Joiirn. N. H. IV, p. 293), and thereafter two or 

 fhree times, without any description. In 1841), however, in a paper 

 on the Geograpby, &c., of Nepaul, he mentioned it in connection with 

 what may be technically accepted as a description. That the present 

 animal is the one referred to by Hodgson is proved by the> series of 

 specimens in the National Collection presented by him. No other 

 Ratiifa is known from Nepal. 



Distribution. — Besides Hodgson's Nepal specimens there is a speci- 

 men in the collection from Sikhim. From Assam eastwards it is 

 replaced by gigantea, 



10. Ratiifa melanopepla, Mill. 



1900. Ratiifa melanopeplay Miller, Prac. Wash. Ac. Sc. II. p. 71. 



Colour. — Above, glossy black, basal half of individual hairs dark 

 reddish brown ; below ' ochraceous ', bases of hairs blackish brown. 

 Face black ; cheeks pale yellow ( ' cream buff' ), a black horizontal 

 streak behind whiskers and a black spot under the chin. Inner sides 

 of arms and legs buff, this pale colour spreading over outer side of 

 forearm. Hands, feet and tail black, 



SkuU. — As in gigantea but smaller ; bulloo narrower. 



Dimensions. — Head and body, 360 ; tail, 430 ; hindfoot, 75. 

 Skull : greatest length, 70 ; basilar length, 53 ; zygomatic breadth, 

 44 ; nasais, 22 ; diastema, 15 ; brainca?e breadth, 31 ; interorbital 

 breadth, 28*5 ; upper molar series, 14. 



Distribution. — The type locality is Trong, Lower Si;im. The 

 Museum Collection contains sjecimens from Camboja, Lower Siam, 

 Tenasserim, Selanga Island and the Malay Peninsula as far south as 

 Kelangore. 



'o'^ 



IL Ratvfa melanopepla avambcv, .Mill, 



1900. Ratufa anamboe, .Aliller, Proc. Wash. Ac. Sc. II., p. 215. 



I have seen no individual of this species and extract the following 

 details from Miller's original description. It is characterised especially 

 by its large size. 



Colour. — *' (Cheeks, throat, sides of neck, inner surface of legs and 

 entire ventral surface of body rich tawny yellow (ochraceous), paler 

 on throat, cheeks and sides of neck, richer on chest, the l)elly much 



