A np:av squirrel from direction island, south 



CHINA SEA. 



By Marcus Ward Lyon, Jr., 



Second AssistaiU Curator, Division of Mammals, U. S. National Museum. 



On his way to Borneo, in 1907, Dr. W. L. Abbott stopped for a 

 day at Direction Island, where he secured a single specimen of the 

 ne.w species of plantain squirrel described below. Direction Island, 

 also called Pulo Mankotan and Pulo Pengiki Kichil (or Paneeky 

 Ketchil), lies in the South China Sea in latitude 0° 14' 39" north 

 and longitude 108° 1' 53" east. Politically and geographically it is 

 a member of the Tambelan group, of which it is the most south- 

 eastern. An account of the mammals of this group and of some 

 adjacent islands was published by Mr. Gerrit S. Miller, jr.,« in 1900. 



Doctor Abbott says of the island : " It is about three-fourths mile 

 long by about one-fourth mile wide, and 500 to 600 feet high. The 

 surface is rocky, but covered with trees except at the southwest corner, 

 where a clearing has been made by the Orang Laut, who occasionally 

 visit the island. Here a few cocoanuts have been planted, also some 

 bananas and papaya. A number of squirrels were heard, but only 

 two were seen, of which one was shot. No other mammal was seen, 

 although there were doubtless rats. There were many white fruit 

 pigeons. Turtles had been laying their eggs on the sand beach, 

 where there were also many tracks of Varanus lizards." 



SCIURUS DIRECTOR, new species. 



Type. — Skin and skull of an immature (large permanent upper 

 premolar just displacing the milk tooth) male. Cat. No. 145392, 

 U.S.N.M., collected on Direction Island, South China Sea, May 1, 

 1907, by Dr. W. L. Abbott. Original number, 5152. 



Diagnostic characters. — A " red "-bellied member of the vittatus 

 group characterized by a more ruddy cast to the entire pelage than 

 usual. 



" Mammals collected by Dr. W. L. Abbott on islands in the South China Sea, 

 Proc. Wash. Acad. Sci., II, pp. 203-246, August 20, 1900. 



Proceedings U. S. National Museum, Vol. XXXVI— No. 1686. 



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