442 BURMA, ITS PEOPLE AM) PRODUCTIONS. 



unnoticed in Dr. Cantor's ' Catalogue of the Mammalia of the ^Nlalayan Peninsula ;' 

 and perhaps the most extraordinary instance in the class of wliat has been termed 

 'mimicry' occurs in a squirrel, lihinosciurtis tupaioiden, Gray, ditferin"; little, if 

 at all, from Sciuncs hticdudatun, S. Miiller, of Sumatra and Borneo, which inhabits 

 the same district. Not only does this rodent resemble T. ferrwjinea in size and 

 the te.xture and colouring of its fur, but the muzzle is singularly elongated, and 

 there is even the pale shoulder-streak usual in the genus Tupaia. As a group of 

 Insedhora the Tupaycs would seem to 'mock' the squirrels; biit the particular 

 species of squirrel referred to again specially simulates the Tupaia ferrmjinea of the 

 same locality." 



As regards the identity of T. Peguana and T. ferruci'inea, Mr. W. T. Blanford 

 remarks: "Skins collected" by Mr. Davison in Southern Tenasserim have all the 

 posterior portion of the back distinctly ferruginous. Others from Myawadi, west of 

 Maulmain, are almost equally rufous on the rump, while other specimens again, from 

 the same neighbourhood, have no rufous tinge. A specimen from Tavoy has scarcely 

 a trace of rufescent. Without a larger series of Malacca specimens than I have at 

 hand, I cannot positively say that the two forms pass into each other ; but I am 

 strongly disposecl to suspect that they do." A better ground for separating these 

 species appears to have been detected by Dr. Anderson, who remarks, "The skull of 

 this species [T. Peguana) is distinguished from the skull of T. fcrruginea, by the less 

 elongated character of the facial portion, and by its smaller size. . . . The teeth are 

 smaller than in T. ferriiginia, and the second upper premolar wants the internal cusp 

 and the cusp on the anterior margin, both of which are unmistakeably developed in 

 the last mentioned species; but these structures are nevertheless represented in the 

 present species by little more than a ridge in the first, and in the second by an 

 obscure tubercle." 



It remains, however, to be shown if these and other differences are graduated as 

 the colouration is, and the result of one being a small race of the other, or if they 

 hold good, and can be discriminated, in the area (Tenasserim) where the two races 

 are said to meet and coexist. 



T. FEEUUGDJEA, Raffles. 



Rich dark ferruginous above, yellowish below, washed with ferruginous. Tail 

 greyish. Siioulder streak more or less rufous. Dr. Anderson adds, " The snout is 

 longer than in 2\ BiJangeri, and the species is larger," and this ditference is seen in 

 the skull characters ; but it does not seem to be established whether these ditferenees 

 aix' constant, or graduate into each other, when a series of skulls is examined. What 

 would seem to be the case is, that most of the so-called species are really local races, 

 which, as our knowledge increases, it will be found necessaiy to amalgamate, as Dr. 

 Anderson has so successfully done with the squirrels. 



T. Chinensis, And. 



Nearly allied to T. Belongcri, but paler and smaller. 

 Adult male — head and body 6-50; tail 6-16=12-G(; inches. 

 Inhabits the Kakhyen Hills and the valley of the Upper Irrawaddy between 

 2000 and 3200 feet. 



T. NicoBAEiCA, Zelebor. 



The face and outside of the fore limbs, throat and chest golden, outside of the 

 hind limbs, sides and abilomen, a rich rufous brown. The top of the head is rich dark 

 brown, changing to pale golden brown between the shoulders, bordered by a maro(m 

 band. The rest of the back and tail almost black. Beneath the tail a yellowish 

 brown central band. 



Body and head 710; tail 800 inches. 



The Nicobars. 



Family Hylomidee. 

 Characters of genus, and intermediate- between Tupaia and Erinaceus, 



