40 SCIURUS (RHEITIIROSCroriUs) MICROTIS. 



3. ON A NEW SQUIRREL FROM SALEYER. 



Gray ^) has described and figured a new species of Squirrel 

 from Borneo (Sarawak) , under the name » Sciwus macro- 

 tis'\ but he did not make mention of the remarkable upper 

 cutting-teeth. It seems therefore that Gray had overlooked 

 that they present longitudinal grooves ^). In his » Synopsis 

 of the Asiatic Squirrels in the collection of the British 

 Museum" ^) he has corrected his mistake by erecting a nevr 

 genus >y Eheithrosciurus" with only one species, the 

 above mentioned »marrotis'\ And now Gray states" »the 

 grooving of the teeth (lege : of the upper cutting-teeth) is 

 a pecularity not observed in any other Sciuridae." 



Therefore it is very interesting that we received this 

 year three Squirrels from the Saleyer-island , which spe- 

 cimens present the same grooved character of the upper 

 cutting-teeth. 



I found these specimens in a large number of Mam- 

 malia and Birds collected by Mr. Teysmann in different 

 parts of the Malayan Archipelago. Our species differs from 



1) P. Z. S. L. 1856, p. 341, pi. XLVI. 



2) Generally Gray's descriptions are very short and incomplete, and aspe- 

 cially they are very cursorily in the above mentioned description in the //Pro- 

 ceedings" as well as in the „Synopses of Asiatic, African and American Squirrels 

 in the collection of the British Museum", Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist. 1867, 

 p. 271 and sqq., p. 323 and sqq. and p. 415 and sqq. Certainly 1 could cite 

 several numbers of ten inaccuracies and mistakes, but I need not to do this, 

 for every one who occupies himself with the study of the Squirrels will agree 

 with me about what I assert. 



It may suffy for the rest to compare Gray's descriptions of the „macrotis". 

 P. Z. S. L. 1856. I Ann. and 3Iag. Nat. Hist. 1867. 



A broad vj/iitc streak on the uppcrpart Lateral streaks, broad, yellowish. 

 of each side. 



Upper-part of the side with a broad 

 pale streak. 



General colour dark chestnut hroion. 



Tail with very long white tipped hairs. 



Length 13, tail 11 inches (Tail there- 

 fore shorter than head and body). 

 3) Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist. 1867, p. 271. 



Notes trom the Leyden IMiiseum 



General colour brown. 



Tail blackish, whitish washed. 



Tail as lonj as the body and head. 



