in the Collection of the British Museum. 425 



9. Macroxus maurus. 



Fur very short, rather rigid, black ; sides and sometimes the 

 front of the back red-washed; head and rump minutely punctu- 

 lated with white; tail black, white-washed; feet and forelegs 

 black ; hairs entirely black to the base, or black with a more or 

 less wide red, yellow, or white subterminal baud ; the throat, 

 chest, and inner part of the body rufous, more or less grizzled 

 with black hairs; tail-hairs black, some with more or less dis- 

 tinct grey tips. 



Hab. Mexico, Oaxaca (Salle). B.M. 



The two specimens vary considerably in colour; but they 

 agree in the shortness, rigidity, and shining nature of the fur. 



They are named S. lanigerus; but this must be a mistake, 

 for they have a very small quantity of lead-coloured under-fur. 



See Sciurus (Macroxus) Peladii, Lesson, Rev. Zool. 1842, 

 p. 130; S. Baird, M. N. A. 282. Hab. Mexico, Realejo 

 (Lesson). 



10. Maa'oxus melcmia. 



Fur uniform, rather rigid, close-pressed, polished black; hairs 

 uniform black to the base, under-fur black, the longer hairs 

 striated, polished ; nape, back, and some spots on the sides of the 

 hinder part of the back washed wath brown, as if stained. Tail, 

 feet, and underside of the body black. 



Hab. West coast of America ? Point Berica (Kellet & Wood). 

 B.M. 



This squirrel differs from all the black squirrels in the Col- 

 lection by the shortness and rigidity of the fur, which has the 

 polished appearance of the fur of the otter and other water- 

 animals. The brown colour of the back may have been occa- 

 sioned by the animal having been kept in confinement, or the 

 skin having been stained. 



B. The fur pale grey ; hairs grey, black-ringed : or black, the 

 hairs being entirely black. 



11. Macroxus neglectus. 



Fur pale iron-grey, nearly uniform ; sides of nose, chin, inner 

 sides of limbs, and underside of body, ears, and feet white ; 

 undei'-fur lead-coloured ; hairs of back pale grey, with a black 

 subterminal band and white tip : tail pale, white, black-varied 

 and white-washed; hairs white, with two broad blackish bands 

 and a long white tip ; soles bald. Length of body 14 inches. 



Hab. North America ? ? , B.M. 



A heavy animal, as large as Sc. vulpinus and Sc. cinereus, very 



