On new Mammals from South America. 265 



XXXI. — Descriptions of new Mammals from South America. 

 By Oldfield Thomas. 



Sciurus pi/rrhinus, sp. n. 



Size of S. variabilis. General colour rich grizzled rufous 

 all over above, and in some specimens below ; the whole of 

 the upper surface uniformly of this tint, not darker on the 

 posterior back, as is usually the case. The rufous is heavily 

 grizzled with black on the back, but becomes clearer on the 

 sides and limbs, which are of a vivid rufous throughout. 

 Under surface either rufous, vivid and sharply defined, 

 without black intermixture, or white, or a patchy mixture of 

 the two. Backs of ears short-haired, dark rufous, a spot of 

 lighter rufous behind their posterior bases. Tail rather 

 shorter than head and body, grizzled black and yellowish at 

 base, broadly washed with vivid rufous for its terminal half, 

 the long hairs of this part black at base and with two other 

 black rings further up, the ends bright rufous. 

 Skull and teeth about as in S. variabilis. 

 Dimensions of the type (an adult female in skin) : — 

 Head and body 240 millim. ; tail 20S ; hind foot (wet) 

 59; ear (wet) 21. 



Skull : greatest length 52 ; basilar length 46 ; greatest 

 breadth 33"5 ; nasals 16 - 5x8 - 4; interorbital breadth 18; 

 intertemporal breadth 19 ; diastema 15'2 ; palate length from 

 henselion 26*7 ; length of upper tooth-series 9"6. 



Hob. Garita del Sol, Vitoc, Peru. Coll. J. Kalinowski, 

 Oct. 1, 1891. 



Type B.M. no. 97. 10. 3. 12. Received in exchange from 

 the Branicki Museum, Warsaw. 



Two other specimens were obtained at Chanchamayo by 

 Mr. Kalinowski. 



This handsome squirrel is clearly that referred to by 

 Tschudi * as Sciurus variabilis, and is equally clearly not 

 the true Colombian S. variabilis, Is. Geoff., which, among 

 other differences, may be readily distinguished by its posterior 

 back being much darker and less rufous than its fore back 

 and shoulders. S. tricolor, Poppig, of Tschudi, is also a 

 darker coloured animal, and, by the dimensions given, is 

 evidently of decidedly greater size. 



* ' Fauna Peruana/ p. 155, pi. x. (1845). Also by myself, P. Z. S. 

 1893, p. 337. 



