,360 SCIURIDJE. 



Colour dull greyish brown to brownish grey above, paler, some- 

 times ashy brown, below. Feet darker, sometimes blackish brown. 

 Basal half or more of dorsal fur leaden grey, terminal portion 

 whity brown with a dusky ring near the end. Ventral fur ashy 

 with wbity-brown tips. 



Dimensions not accurately known. Skins measure, head and 

 body about 18 inches, tail with hair about 22; basal length of skull 

 about 2-7, zygomatic breadth 1'8. 



Distribution. Gilgit, about 6000 feet; probably also found at 

 higher elevations. A skin was obtained by the late Mr. Mandelli, 

 probably from some part of Tibet. 



Habits unknown. The blunt claws probably show that the animal 

 lives on rocks, perhaps amongst precipices, whilst the dense fur 

 indicates a very cold climate. 



Genus PTEROMYS, Cuv. (1800). 



Limbs united by a membrane or parachute extending to the toes 

 and supported by a bony cartilage attached to the ulnar (outer) 

 side of the wrist, and usually long enough when laid back to extend 

 to the elbow or beyond. There is an antebrachial 

 membrane from the fore limb to the side of the 

 P m ' neck, and an interfemoral membrane extending 

 down the hind limb to the heel, and attached to 

 the first two or three inches of the tail, which is 

 bushy, cylindrical, and as long as the head and 

 m. body or longer. Fur soft and rather long on the 

 back. 



Dentition : i. |, pm. ^, m. |^g, as in Sciurus ; 

 v 101 -P- v,f molars large, crowns much complicated. Yer- 

 per cteffihof tebrffi (in P. magnifies} : C. 7, D. 12, L. 7, S. 3, 

 P.magnificus. xf. C. 30. Three pairs of mamma?, pectoral and 



ventral, none inguinal. 



The large fly ing- squirrels constituting this genus comprise 

 several closely allied forms, some of which are probably not en- 

 titled to specific rank. The following occur within our area. All 

 flying-squirrels are, so far as is known, nocturnal animals. 



Synopsis of Indian, Ceylonese, and Burmese Species. 



A. Lower surface white or grey, upper brown. . P. oral, p. 361. 



B. Lower surface rufous; no white spots on 



back. 

 a'. Head above coloured like the back. 



a". A short clearly defined black tip to tail. 



a'". Back paler in colour than parachute. P. inornatus, p. 263, 

 b'". Back deeper in colour than para- 

 chute P. magnificus, p. 364. 



