SCIFEUS. 385 



portion and the nose more produced. Colour very similar but 

 darker ; the back is black or blackish brown, with three narrow 

 longitudinal white or whitish subequal stripes, not more in general 

 than y 1 ^ inch in width, and usually not extending so far back as 

 the root of the tail. Head rufous above, sides greyish brown, 

 belly whitish or grey ; tail-hairs deep rufous, with black rings and a 

 white tip. 



Dimensions. Head and body 7'5 inches, tail without hair 6-25, 

 with hair 7*5; basal length of skull 1-6, extreme length 1*8, 

 7, ygomatic breadth 1 . 



Distribution. Throughout a great part of the peninsula of India 

 and Ceylon, in forest regions. Anderson records this species 

 "also from Sikhim. Common in Malabar. 



Habits. The voice is said by both Blyth and Jerdou to be quite 

 different in character from that of 8. palmarum and much less 

 shrill. Although generally a denizen of the woods, this species 

 has been known to enter and inhabit houses in places where the 

 palm-squirrel does not occur, and a case is mentioned by Jerdon 

 as occurring in his own house at Tellichery. 



I feel much doubt as to the distinctness of this form from 

 S. palmarum, which I suspect, as mentioned under that species, to 

 be a semi-domesticated variety. 



255. Sciurus layardi. Layard's striped Squirrel. 



Sciurus layardi, Blyth, J. A. S. B. xviii, p. 602 ; id. Cat. p. 107 ; 

 Kelaart, Prod. p. 53 ; Layard, A. M. N. H. (2), ix (1852), - 

 p. 335 ; Jerdon, Mam. p. 172 ; Anderson, An. Zool. Res. p. 260. 



Colour above dark brown, faintly speckled ; back blackish with 

 three longitudinal pale bands, that in the middle orange or buff- 

 coloured, well marked, running the whole length of the back, the 

 lateral bands brownish, fainter and shorter. Dorsal hair black, with 

 one small orange ring near the tip. Lower parts deep rusty red, 

 hairs dusky at the base. Tail hoary above, ferruginous below. 

 Basal half of caudal hair rather more rufous with one narrow 

 black ring, terminal half black with whitish tips. 



Dimensions. About the same as S. tristriatus or rather larger. 



Distribution. The mountainous parts of Ceylon, and also, 

 according to Jerdon, of Tra van core. 



Habits. A forest animal, like S. tristriatus, of which this may 

 prove to be a variety. 



256. Sciurus sublineatus. The dusky striped Sguirrci. 



Sciurus sublineatus, Waterhouse, P. Z. S. 1838, p. 19 ; Blyth, J. A. 



S. B. xvi, p. 875 ; id. Cat. p. 107 ; Jerdon, Mam. p. 173 ; Anderson, 



An. Zool. Res. p. 260. 



Sciurus delesserti, Gervais, Mag. Zool. 1842, pi. 81. 

 Sciurus trilineatus, Waterhouse, Blyth, J. A. S. B. xx, p. 165 (1851) ; 



Kelaart, Prod. p. 54. 



