SCIURUS STANGERI. 9 



agreeing externally with tlie type of Sc, calliurus but pre- 

 senting neither the indistinct grooved upper incisors nor the 

 small fifth upper molar-tooth. Giebel (Zeitsehrift f. d, ges. 

 Naturwissensch. 1877, II, p. 310) asserts that Sciurus stan- 

 geri has grooved upper incisors like Sciurus birolor, insig- 

 nis, plantani and griseus , but I am convinced that the 

 species which Giebel studied were wrongly labelled, for 

 not a single of the named species presents this character. 



N. i. Ncongo, Mboko (Du Chaillu). 



Hab. Bavia and Sofore-Place , St. Paul-river , Liberia 

 (Büttikofer and Sala) ; Gold-coast , Dabocrom (Pel) ; Cala- 

 bar (Laurein) ; Gaboon (Buchholz) , Dongila (Laglaize , Ver- 

 reaux) ; source of the Ovenga-river and near the Ashira 

 prairies (Du Chaillu); Ogobai-river , Mungo , Mbusa (Buch- 

 holz, Fischer); Fernando-Po (Fraser, Thompson, Burton, 

 Du Chaillu). 



Pel has found this species in the extensive forests towards 

 the frontiers of Fantee. It does not appear in the neigh- 

 borhood of the coast. Du Chaillu relates that it is found in 

 the mountainous country situated near the Ashira prairies 

 at a distance of one hundred and fifty miles from the coast 

 and in the mountains of the interior where the Ovenga- 

 river has its source. It is not met with on the sea- 

 shore. Du Chaillu named it ivory-eater and says that it 

 shows a curious partiality for ivory , and loves to feed on 

 the newly fallen tusks of the elephant , but does not touch 

 them after they have lain on the ground long enough to 

 lose the animal matter; many tusks are found with the 

 marks of its teeth. Büttikofer writes that this species 

 feeds on nuts of the oil-tree. There are other Kodents 

 which also show this curious appetite for hard animal 

 matter , for instance Du Chaillu relates that the Porcupine 

 of West Africa is said by the natives to feed sometimes 

 on the tusks of the elephant and I saw in the Stuttgart 

 collection a piece of a deer's antler , which was gnawed by 

 the common European Squirrel. Mr. Liebe (Der Zoologi- 

 sche Garten, 1881, N^. 3, p. 93) supposes that squirrels 



P^'otes from tbe Leyden IMuneum, Vol. FV. 



