GIANT SQUIRRELS OF BURMAH AND MALAY PENINSULA 7 1 



Measurements. — External measurements of an adult male : total 

 length i03o; head and body 410; tail 610; pencil 100; hind foot 

 93 (88). 



Cranial measurements of some specimen : gi-eatest length 75 ; basal 

 length 65; basilar length 61; palatal length 30; length of nasals 

 24.6; breadth of nasals anteriorly 14.6; breadth of nasals posteriorly 

 9 ; interorbital breadth 39 ; breadth between tips of postorbital proc- 

 esses 43 ; zygomatic breadth 48 ; mastoid breadth 36 ; breadth of 

 palate between premolars 1 1 ; depth of rostrum at posterior extremity 

 of nasals 22; mandible 47; depth of mandible at posterior root of 

 premolar 12.6; maxillary toothrow (alveoli) 15.4; breadth across 

 both upper incisors together at rim of alveoli 8 ; mandibular toothrow 

 (alveoli) 16. 



Specimens exa?fiined. — One, collected at Taho, Kareni, Burmah, 

 by Fea. 



Re7narks. — In its large size, tufted ears, wholly black outer surface 

 of front legs, and broad, low audital bullas Ratufa gigantea dif- 

 fers conspicuously from the more southern representatives of the genus. 



RATUFA MELANOPEPLA sp. nov. 



Type. — Adult male (skin and skull) no. 83230 United States Na- 

 tional Museum, collected in Trong, Lower Siam, February 27, 1S96, 

 by Dr. W. L. Abbott. 



Characters. — Similar to Ratufa gigantea but smaller (total length 

 about 800 mm., hind foot about 80 mm.) ; ears never tufted; tawny 

 of inner side of front leg spreading conspicuously over outer surface be- 

 tween wrist and elbow. Skull and teeth essentially as in R. gigantea. 



Color. — Fresh pelage : cheeks, throat, sides of neck, inner sur- 

 face of legs, and entire ventral surface of body rich tawny yellow (in 

 the type very nearly matching the ochraceous of Ridgway), the hairs 

 mostly blackish at base. Remainder of pelage and entire tail glossy 

 blue-black, the basal portion of the hairs tinged with dark reddish 

 brown which 7iever appears on su7'face unless the fur is disarranged. 

 Yellow of inner side of front leg spreading conspicuously over outer 

 surface between elbow and wrist, where, like that on cheeks and side 

 of neck, it becomes distinctly paler (generally somewhat yellower 

 than the buff of Ridgway). A black spot on chin. No black stripe 

 o?i cheek behind roots of xvhiskers. Bleached pelage: yellow por- 

 tions of body essentially as in fresh coat ; black areas to a greater or 

 less extent a dull indefinite, reddish brown (not far from the cinnamon 



