xv HABITS OF ANOMALURUS 463 
Anomalurus peli appears, according to Mr. W. H. Adams,’ to 
be a common species on the Gold Coast; it is coloured black and 
white, but in spite of the warning which this colour should 
convey, 1s considered by the perhaps rather omnivorous native as 
“the greatest delicacy.” The animal is nocturnal, but affects only 
bright moonlight nights. Their “ flying” consists of a jump from 
a high branch to a lower one, after which they reascend the tree 
to a pot of vantage for another jump. ‘They are said to feed 
upon nuts; but Tullberg only found the remains of leaves in the 
stomach. 
Idiurus is a lately-described genus allied to Anomalurus. 
There are at any rate two species, /. zenkeri and J. macrotis. 
The thumb is more reduced than in Anomalurus, and the fibula 
contrary to what is found in that genus and in most Sciuromorphs 
is fused with the tibia below. 
A third genus, very recently described and allied to both the 
foregoing, is Aéthurus. It is a native of the French Congo, and 
differs by the absence of flying membranes. It has, however, the 
pad of large scales. There is but one species, 4. glirinus. It 
has a black bushy tail. The postorbital processes of the frontals 
are totally wanting—there are not even the traces to be seen in 
Anomalurus. The thumb has vanished. If we are to compare 
Anomalurus with the Squirrels then, thinks Mr. de Winton, the 
present genus is probably diurnal by reason of the want of flying 
membranes. | 
Fam. 2. Sciuridae.—The Squirrels, genus Sciurus, are world- 
wide in range, the Australian region and the island of Madagascar 
being alone excepted. 
The eyes and the ears are large; the tail is of course long 
and bushy. The fore-feet have an inconspicuous thumb; the 
hind-feet have four toes. The soles of the fore-feet are 
naked or furry, those of the hind-feet are hairy. There are 
twelve or thirteen dorsal vertebrae, and in correspondence seven 
or six lumbars. The caudal vertebrae may be as many as twenty- 
five. In the skull the frontals are broad, and there are long 
2 
? 
1 “On the Habits of the Flying Squirrels of the genus Anomalurus,” Proc. Zool. 
Soc. 1894, p. 243. 
2 W. E. de Winton, ‘‘On a New Genus and Species of Rodents,” ete., Proc. Zool. 
Soc. 1898, p. 450. Apparently just at the time of the publication of this paper 
Matschie described the same animal as Zenkerella. 
