PTEROMYS. 33 



of a pure grey colour, contrasting with the colour of 

 the rest of the body. . . P. caniceps, p. 36. 



Pteromys oraL 



Var. A. — fyptais. 



Sciurus petaurista, Pallas MiscelL, p. 54, pi. vi. figs. I, 2 (1766) [pt.]*. 

 Pteromys petaurista, Milller and Schlegel Tern. Verkandl.,p. 106(1839-44); 



Blyth y. A. S. B., X, p. 919; id. J. A. S. B., xvi, p. 865 ; Horsfield Cat. 



E. I. Mus., p. 159; Blyth J. A. S.B., xxviii, pp. 276,286; id. Cat., no. 291, 



p. 94; Jerdon Mamm., p. 174. 

 Pteromys philippensis, apiid Elliot Madras '^oiim., x, p. 217 (1839). 

 Pteromys oral, Tickell Calc. Journ. N. H., ii, p. 401, pi. xi (1842) ; Blyth 



J. A. S. B., x\, p. 451 ; id. f. A. S. B., xx, p, 165; Kelaart Prodr. 



Faun. Zeylan, p. 55 ; Anderson Anat. Zool. Res., p. 279. 

 Pteromys griseiventer, Gray List Mamm, B, M,, p. 133 (1843) > Blyth 



J. A. S. B., xxviii, p. 277. 



Var. B.-^cineraceus, 



Pteromys petaurista, a^MC? Walker Cal. Journ. N. H., iii, p. 266 (1843); 



Horsfield Cat. Mamm. E. I. Mus., p. 159 [pt.] 

 Pteromys petaurista var. cineraceus, Blyth y. A. S. B., xvi, p. 865 (1847). 

 Pteromys cineraceus, Blyth jf. A. S. i?., xxviii, p. 276 (1859); id. Cat., 



no. 292, p. 94; id. y. A. S. B., xliv, Burma List, p. 35; Blanford 



y. A. S. B., xlvii, p. 165; Anderson Anat. Zool. Res., p. 281 ; Thomas- 



P. Z. S., 1886, p. 67. 



Distrihutio7i. — The typical variety is found all over the penin- 

 sula of India and Ceylon wherever there are forests; it is specially 

 abundant in the Malabar country. The var. cineraceus is ap- 

 parently only found in Arakan. 



This species including P. cineraceus and the following ones, 

 namely, P. alborufus, P. yunnanensis, P. magnificus, P. albiventer 

 and P. caniceps, all seem very closely allied to one another, and it is 

 perhaps more as a matter of convenience than as a representation of 

 their true relationship to one another that they should be kept sepa- 

 rate ; as far as their skulls are concerned it is impossible to separate 

 them, and although typical specimens of these several so-called 

 species are easily distinguished from one another, there are ii the 

 Museum collections intermediate forms between most of them. 



The prevailing colour of Pteromys oral is dark brown or black, 

 with only slight traces of white tips to the dorsal fur. These white 

 tips are much more developed in P. cineraceus, the typical forms 

 of which seem to be confined to Arakan. Southwards in Burma and 

 Tenasserim, and northwards in Assam, the dark brown or black 

 ground colour is replaced by bright red, and this variety seems to 

 correspond to the species described by Milne Edwards from 

 Moupin in Thibet (P. alborufus). The species described by 

 Anderson from Momien in Yunnan resembles P. alborufus, but is 



