72 MILLER 



of Ridgway, but often even lighter) becoming slightly more yellow on 

 flanks. 



Skull. — The skull is as in Rat?ifa giganteay though not so large. 

 Audita! bullae narrower and lateral processes of basioccipital less de- 

 veloped. Palate distinctly concave between premolars but less so than 

 in R. gigajitea. Anterior margin of each nasal concave, so that the 

 outline of the two together is distinctly double concave, the region of 

 the median suture projecting as a conspicuous decurved point. Man- 

 dible with angular process narrower and longer than in R. gigantea. 



Teeth. — The teeth are essentially as in Rattifa gigantea., though 

 the crown of the middle upper molar appears to be less nearly square 

 in outline. 



Measurc?Jients . — External measurements of t3'pe : total length Soo ; 

 head and body 36S ; tail 431 ; pencil 80; hind foot So (74). Average 

 of eight specimens from the type locality : total length 776 (762-S35) ; 

 head and body 350 (305-3S1); tail 437 (406-462); hind foot 81.5 

 (79-85); hind foot without claws 73.7 (6S-76). 



Cranial measurements of type : greatest length 70 ; basal length 59 ; 

 basilar length 53 ; palatal length 26.4 ; diastema 16; length of nasals 

 23.4; breadth of nasals anteriorly 13; breadth of nasals posteriorly 

 7 ; interorbital breadth 28 ; breadth between tips of postorbital proc- 

 esses 41 ; zygomatic breadth 44; mastoid breadth 32.6; breadth of 

 palate between premolars 10; depth of rostrum at posterior extremity 

 of nasals 18.8; mandible 41.6; depth of mandible at posterior root of 

 premolar 11; maxillary toothrow (alveoli) 14; breadth across both 

 upper incisors together at rim of alveoli 8; mandibular toothrow 

 (alveoli) 14.4. 



Specimens examined. — Twelve, all from the type locality. 



Remarks. — Ratufa melaiiopepla is readily distinguished from R. 

 gigantea by its size, untufted ears, color of front legs, absence of 

 faint annulation of underfur of back and absence of black sti'ipe on 

 cheek. The cheek stripe is occasionally indicated, but apparently never 

 well developed. The striking change in color due to bleaching of 

 the black fur is closely paralleled by that recorded by Thomas' in 

 Ratufa bjinguranensis. In one animal, however, the change is 

 from black to cinnamon, and in the other from Prouts brown to " dirty 

 whitish fawn." The fresh black coat first appears on the anterior 

 half of tlie body, gradually spreading backward and encroaching 

 on the area occupied by the brown. The abrupt contrasts of color 

 thus brought about are frequently very striking. A yellowish brown 



'Novitates Zoologica', II, p. 491, December, 1S95. 



