668 OLDFIELI) THOMAS 



This striking- species needs no detailed comparison with any 

 of its congeners, as its uniform sombre colouration readily distin- 

 guishes it from all except two. These two which more or less 

 agree with it in colour are Pteromys tephromelas and phaeomelas 

 of Giinther, shown by Major (^) to have Sciuropterus — and not 

 Pieromys — Hke molars, but they are both so much larger that 

 no confusion could possibly take place between eitlier of them 

 and S. lugens. 



As to its real aliinities there is I think little doubt that it is 

 most nearly allied to S. genibarbis and S. hageni, as in tooth 

 and bulla struoture it is not very far from either of them; its 

 bullae are in fact exactly as in the latter and therefore very 

 ditterent from the bulbous bullae of most other species. As to 

 its molar-structure, it will certainly fall into the same group 

 as S. genibarbis, whenever the proper revision of the genus takes 

 place for which Di-. Forsyth Major has paved tlie way. 



With the unimportant exception of the amount of white on 

 the chesty there is practically no variation among the series of 

 eight specimens brought home by Dr. Modigliani. 



15. Sciixropterixs avii-antiacuLS, Wagn. (V) 



a. 9. Si Oban. Apr. 1894. 



The single specimen which with some doubt I refer to this 

 species is unfortunately not in very good condition, and is also 

 still in the grey phase of pelage, so that it is difficult to be 

 quite certain of its determination. Wagner's species was origi- 

 nally described from Banka. 



l(i. Seiiii-us melanog-aster , sp. n. 



12 ^ anrl 9. Si Oban, April-July 1894. 



Measurement of co-types : 



</. Head and body 210 'VaW 175 Hind-fool 50 Ear 18 



9. » 200 » 178 » 47 » 17. 



Skull of 9 co-type: — basal length 44.5; greatest breadth 31; nasals 

 16 X 8; intcrorbital breadth 18; palate from hensclion 22.(5; diastema 12.2; 

 upper molar series, excluding p. ?> 9.4. 



(I) P. /.. S. 1^93, p. 193 



