12 On West-African Squirrels. 



graph of the African Squirrels, places this name as a synonym 

 of 8. Ebii, Temm. ; certainly the two forms resemble one 

 another very closely in outward appearance, but on comparing 

 the skulls there are found so many slight differences, that I 

 prefer to regard them as distinct species; but chiefly I wish 

 to draw attention to the infraorbital foramina. 



In S. Ebii the foramen is formed on the same pattern and 

 is of nearly the same size as that of S. Stangeri, while in 

 S. Wilsoni it is much smaller, having a prolonged outer wall, 

 and therefore typically Sciurine. The differences in size of 

 the opening of this foramen must not therefore be considered 

 of too great importance, seeing that it only results from a 

 cutting away of the outer wall and is found to be so variable 

 in closely allied forms. 



The skulls of 8. Ebii and 8. Wilsoni differ greatly from 

 those of 8. Stangeri and 8. Nordhoffi, as also do the patterns 

 of the molars ; both in the length of the facial portion, the 

 generally elongated skull, and in the more hypsodont molars 

 the two former are much more Xerus-Wke. Though the lower 

 molars certainly are more Sciurine than those of the other 

 members of the group in which I propose to place them, I see 

 no reason to keep them separate, and I think they should be 

 transferred to the subgenus Funisciurus = Paraxerus of 

 Forsyth Major ; while in the shortness of the facial portion, 

 the generally broadened skull, and in the brachydont molars 

 the two latter might very well be placed with the Rufo- 

 brachiatus or true Sciurine group of African squirrels. 



It is proposed therefore that the subgenus Protoxerus be 

 done away with and that its members be divided between the 

 other two groups, #. Stangeri and S. Nordhqfji being trans- 

 ferred to the Sciurine group Sciurus, sec. a, Major, = ffelio- 

 sciurus, Trouessart, and 8. Ebii, S. Wilsoni, and 8. Aubinnii 

 to the more Xerus-Wke group Funisciurus, Trouessart, = 

 Paraxerus, Major, lately raised to the rank of a genus by 

 O. Thomas (P. Z. S. 1897, p. 933). 



This seems to me the only place where a line can be drawn, 

 and I believe in this manner the squirrels of Africa will be 

 divided into two more workable groups than according to the 

 former arrangement, for there appears to be quite as much 

 relationship between Funisciurus Ebii, F. Aubinnii, and 

 F. cepapi with its allies, as exists between the latter and 

 F. pyrrhopus groups. 



Since Dr. Forsyth Major wrote his paper the collection of 

 African squirrels in the British Museum has been very 

 greatly increased, there being then no skulls of F. Wilsoni or 

 8. Nordhoffii available, and the only skull of F. Ebii having 



