270 Dr. J. E, Gray's Synopsis of the Asiatic Squirrels 



Remark. This species is allied^ on the one hand, to the large 

 Ptilotis chrysotis, and, on the other, to the small P. gracilis ; 

 its most remarkable feature, when compared with those birds, 

 is its long and stout bill, which is both longer and stouter than 

 that of the former species ; in all its other admeasurements it is 

 considerably smaller, while they much exceed those of the P. 

 gracilis. It is also closely allied to, but quite distinct from, the 

 P, similis of the Aru Islands. Gilbert collected this bird at 

 Brown's Lagoon, on the 20th of December, 1844, when travel- 

 ling with Leichardt from Moreton Bay to Port Essington ; and 

 I have lately received specimens through Mr. Jardine from the 

 Cape- York district of Queensland. 



XXXV. — Synopsis of the Asiatic Squirrels (Sciuridse) in the 

 Collection of the British Museum, describing one new Genus 

 and some new Species. By Dr. J. E. Gray, F.K.S., V.P.Z.S., 

 &c. 



The Squirrels form a very natural group. The species are very 

 difficult to distinguish, on account of the general similarity 

 that exists between them, and the variation that the specimens 

 of the same kind present. The species appear to have a com- 

 paratively limited range, and therefore are most easily divided 

 into geographical series. 



The North-American species have been well studied and de- 

 scribed by Dr. Spencer Baird, in his work on the North-American 

 Mammalia. 



The species of Asia and, especially, of South and Tropical 

 America are very imperfectly known. 



I have been studying the Asiatic specimens in the British 

 Museum, many of which are the types of the species described 

 by Horsfield, Hodgson, Blyth, Kelaart, Sykes, Elliot, Solomon 

 Miiller, and myself; and I have attempted to arrange them 

 into groups, so as to bring together the species most nearly 

 allied, and to enable the student easily to distinguish them. A 

 synopsis of the species of Africa and America will follow. In 

 these synopses I have confined myself to the study of specimens 

 in the Museum Collection, which have been most carefully com- 

 pared together. 



The section Sciurinse of Sciuridse is separated from the 

 Arctomyina) by the small size of the upper front molar, or by 

 its absence (for it is often early deciduous), and by the broad 

 rounded form of the inner edge of the grinders. It may be 

 thus divided : — 



