380 SCIUEIDJE. 



249. Sciurus caniceps. The golden-lacked Squirrel. 



Sciurus caniceps, Gray, A. M. N. H. x, p. 263 (1842) ; Blyth, Mam. 

 Birds Burma, p. 36 ; Anderson, An. Zool. Res. p. 229 ; Blanford, 

 J. A. S. B. xlvii, pt. 2, p. 161 ; Thomas, P. Z. S. 1886, p. 68. 



Sciurus chrysonotus, Blyth, J. A. S. B. xvi, p. 873, pi. xxxvii, fig. 1, 

 xxiv, p. 474 ; id. Cat. p. 103 ; Peters, P. Z. S. 1866, p. 429. 



Sciurus concolor, Blyth, J. A. S. B. xxiv, p. 474 ; id. Cat. p. 103. 



Two pairs of rnaininae, one ventral and one inguinal, as in all 

 allied forms. Feet very broad. Soles of all feet bearing granular 

 tubercles between the pads. 



Colour above speckled greyish olive to rufous olive, the back in the 

 typical form changing in winter to orange or pale ferruginous red. 

 The dorsal hairs are blackish at the base, and in the grey or olive 

 (summer) phase the terminal portion is alternately yellow and black, 

 2 rings of each, the tip being black. In the orange (winter) phase 

 all the terminal portion is orange. Head frequently pale grey. 

 Lower parts speckled grey or olivaceous grey, often with a median 

 dark line. In Southern specimens the flanks and sides of the 

 neck are bright rufous. Tail indistinctly aunulated, each hair 

 coloured alternately whitish and black, usually about 4 rings of each ; 

 tip of the tail for about 2 to 3 inches black. 



Dimensions of a female : head and body 8-7 inches, tail without 

 hair 9'8, with hair 12-1, hind foot 1-2, ear 0'5. In a male the tail, 

 without hair, is shorter than the head and body. Basal length of 

 skull 1-95, extreme length 2'3, zygomatic breadth 1-35. 



Distribution. From the neighbourhood of Moulmein, throughout 

 the Tenasserim provinces and Malay Peninsula. Kare in, Amherst. 



Varieties. Two forms are included under this species, because in 

 the ordinary summer vesture they are indistinguishable ; as, how- 

 ever, one has a distinct breeding livery and the other has not, it is 

 doubtful whether the two should not receive different names. 

 These forms are : 



1. Typical S. caniceps (S. cJirysonotus, Blyth), the form found in 

 Northern Tenasserim near Moulmein. This is paler and greyer 

 than the next variety, and both sexes in winter have the back 

 orange. Mr. Thomas has shown, from the examination of a 

 large series of dated specimens, that the yellow colour of the 

 back begins to appear in patches about October, and to dis- 

 appear and be replaced by grey hair about March. 



2. S. concolor, found in Southern Tenasserim and the Malay 

 Peninsula. This is darker in colour, both above and below, and 

 has no seasonal change. Malay Peninsula skins have the sides 

 of the neck and flanks rufous. 



HaUts. Probably precisely the same as those of all the allied 

 forms. Beavan found the nest of this squirrel in July with one 

 young one in it, aud observed that the species occurs at' times near 

 houses, and occasionally descends to the ground to feed, but never 

 remains there long. The breeding-time apparently is in the spring. 



