NO. 1976. TREESHREWS: FAMILY TUPAIIDJE—LYON. 67 



TUPAIA DISSIMILIS (Ellis). 

 1860. Sciurus dissiniilis Ellis, in Gray, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 3, vol. 6, p. 71. 



Type-locality. — Pulo Condore, off south coast of Siam. 



Type-specimen.^iso type-specimen ever existed so far as known. 

 This species was thought to be a pecuHar squirrel by W. Ellis, a sur- 

 geon on Captain Cook's third voyage. The expedition stopped at Pulo 

 Condore, 1780, in the latter part of Januar}^ Ellis wrote a descrip- 

 tion in Latin, published by Gray in 1860, paid made an excellent draw- 

 ing of the entire animal and of its anterior teeth. Through the kind- 

 ness of the authorities of the British Museum, Natural History, in 

 whose library Ellis's manuscript and drawings are now kept, a photo- 

 grapliic reproduction of this picture appears as plate 1. 



Geographic distribution. — Pulo Condore. See No. 27 on map on 

 page 75. 



Diagnosis. — A geographic form of Tupaia cliinensis distinguished 

 by its smaller size ; hind foot, 38-40 ; T. cMne7isis usually over 40 mm. ; 

 mammae unknown. 



Color. — Based on Cat. No. 3745, Berlin Museum, originally re- 

 ceived from the Paris ]\Iuseum, an old mounted specim.en with skull 

 removed. Upper parts of head, neck, and body, a grizzle of ochra- 

 ceous and blackish, the two colors about equally mixed, tail similar 

 but grizzle coarser; ochraceous color on head slightly lighter than 

 on body; outer side of legs similar to adjacent parts of body, under- 

 parts and inner side of legs with much hair gone and soiled, appar- 

 ently dull buffy; underside of tail in middle line similar to rest of 

 underparts; margins of tail underneath a coarse mixture of buffy and 

 blackish. 



STcull and teeth. — Of similar form to those of Tupaia helangeri (com- 

 parison made with Berlin Burma specimen), but smaller, rostrum 

 narrower, and brain case decidedly narrower; teeth similar to those 

 of T. helangeri, but m^ and m^ shorter. 



Measurements. — Hind foot, 38-40 mm.; condylo-basal length about 

 45; zygomatic width, 23-24; \vidth of brain caise, 18-19; maxillaiy 

 toothrow 17. In mounted specimens the head and body is 180- 

 200, and the tail 140-165 mm. See table, page 70. 



Specimens examined. — Three, two in Paris, and one in Berlin, all 

 probably collected b}^ Germain, in 1882. 



Remarks. — There can be little doubt as to the distinctness of T. 

 dissimilis from T. chinensis, the rather limited material showing it 

 to be distinctly smaller. Probably these are good color characters 

 as well, but at present there is not sufficiently good material of either 

 species to point them out. Although tliis was the first species of a 

 treeshrew to come under the observation of Europeans, this is the 

 first time it has been given recognition as a species. 



