734 On a new West- African Squirrel. 



light brown, the general eifect roarkedly different from the 

 reddish colour of Z(o?/fl?i and true auriculatus. Flanks much 

 the same colour as back, paler and more generally speckled 

 with yellowish olive, especially near the ventral surface. 

 Light lateral stripes rather clearer than in the Cameroon 

 species, posterior portions broken up into distinct light 

 yellowish spots. Limbs similar in colour to shoulders, the 

 hind limbs fairly sharply marked off from the buff tint of 

 the rump and posterior back. Face, forehead, and back of 

 head bright orange-rufous (dead leaf no. 3, ' R^ipertoire de 

 Couleurs^), without the conspicuous black speckling present 

 in boydi, the entire head appearing rufous. Dark patches 

 behind ears fairly well defined. Backs of hands and feet dull 

 brownish red, rather similar in colour to those of true aw^i- 

 culatus, much less rufous than in buydi. Ventral surface of 

 body pale buff, a great deal paler than in the allied forms. 

 Tail as in auriculatns. 



The skull of the type is unfortunately missing, as is also 

 the skull of the only other specimen of this new form, but 

 the general characters of the skin leave no room for doubt 

 as regards its affinities with the auriculatus group. 



Dimensions of the type (measured in the flesh) : — 



Head and body 184 mm. ; tail 154; hind foot 45 ; ear 18. 



Hah. Oban District, Southern Nigeria. Altitude 500 feet. 



Type. Adult male. B.M. no. 11. 11. 16. 1. Original 

 number 42. Collected by Mr. P. A. Talbot on September 

 23rd, 1911, and presented by him to the British Museum. 



This handsome squirrel is readily distinguished from the 

 allied forms by the bright yellowish coloration of the hind- 

 quarters and posterior back, the yellowish-olive neck', 

 shoulders and limbs, the almost pure rufous-orange colour 

 of the head, without any conspicuous black speckling, and by 

 the pale buff tint of the entire ventral surface. Funisciurus 

 auriculatus, a. boydi, and a. beatus are all much more rufous 

 on the back, a great deal darker on the neck and shoulders, 

 richer in colour on the ventral surface, and with the posterior 

 portion of the head speckled with black or yellow and black. 



Mr. Talbot obtained two specimens of this beautiful new 

 squirrel, both collected near Oban at the conclusion of the 

 journey across Nigeria which he recently made in company 

 with Miss Olive MacLeod, and it is in honour of Miss 

 MacLeod that this new form is named. 



