58 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vol. 45. 



TUPAIA DEMISSA Thomas. 



1888. Tupaja ferruginea var. chrysura Jentink (not of Giinther), Notes Leyden 

 Museum, vol. 11, p. 29, 1889. Type-locality, Deli, Sumatra. 



1904. Tupaia ferruginea dcmissa Thomas, Zool. Anz., vol. 27, p. 723, July 12, 

 1904. 



1905. Tupaia ferruginea demissa, Schneider, Zool. Jahrb., vol. 20, p. 8C, 1905. 



Type-locality. — Tanjong Bringin, lower Langkat, northeastern 

 Sumatra. 



Type-specimen. — In British Museum, Reg. No. 4.6.9.1, skin and 

 skull of adult female, collected at Tanjong Bringin, lower Langkat, 

 Sumatra, February 8, 1898, by Gustav Schneider. Originally pre- 

 served in alcohol, but made into a skin probably about 1904. The 

 colors do not appear to have been affected by the alcohol. Type 

 specimen in good condition. 



Geographic distribution. — Deli-Langkat region, northeastern Suma- 

 tra. It was not found by Dr. W. L. Abbott immediately north of 

 lower Langkat, in the vicinity of Aru Bay, nor in the region of the 

 Siak River a short distance to the southeast. See No. 7, on map on 

 page 75. 



Diagnosis. — In all respects like T. glis ferruginea except that the 

 color of the tail is cream buff; mammae, 2-2 = 4. 



Color. — The color of Tupaia demissa, with the exception of the 

 tail, is so like that of T. g. ferruginea that no detailed description is 

 necessary. The tail, except its base, which is like adjacent parts of 

 body, is cream buff in color throughout its whole extent on both 

 surfaces, although a few brownish hairs may mar the clearness of the 

 upper view. 



STcull and teeth. — As in Tupaia glis ferruginea. 

 ' Measurements. — Type: Hind foot, 44 mm.; condylo-basal length, 

 49.5; zygomatic width, 27; width of brain case, 20.5; maxillary 

 toothrow, 19. For individual measurements, see table, page 59. 



RemarTiS. — Tupaia demissa is a very distinct member of the 'ferj^u- 

 ginea" group. Although described as a subspecies, and occurring on 

 the same land mass with T. g. ferruginea, I have here called it a full 

 species because so far as I am aware there is no evidence of it inter- 

 grading with the usual form. It appears to be a well-established 

 color anomaly of T. g. ferruginea quite parallel with the case of Tana 

 chrysura of Borneo. Because the tail has a uniform color and is not 

 a decided mixture of blackish and some buffy or rufescent color, 

 Tupaia demissa might with a certain degree of propriety be classed 

 with the splendidula group, but I am much more inclined to consider 

 it a perpetuated case of partial albinism in the ferruginea group. 



Specimens examined. — Six, all from Deli or Langkat. In addition 

 to these I have seen a specimen of this species on exhibition in the 

 Natural History Museum at Strassburg, collected in "Sumatra" in 

 1903. A specimen of this species is recorded by Jentink in the Ley- 



