XVII. ON TWO RODENTS NEW TO THE FAUNA 



OF THE MALAY PENINSULA, WITH THE 



DESCRIPTION OF A NEW SUB-SPECIES, 



PITHECHEIRUS MELANURUS PARVUS 



By C. BoDEN Kloss, F.Z.S. 



In August 1915 I spent a fortnight on Bukit Kutu, 

 Selangor, 3,485 ft., for the purpose of collecting insects. A few 

 vertebrates were also obtained and preserved and amongst 

 them were two mammals which have not hitherto been re- 

 corded from the Malay Peninsula : one being a species of 

 small flying squirrel known hitherto from Billiton Island only 

 and the other a form of the " red bush rat " only known 

 until now from Java and Sumatra. 



PITHECHEIRUS. 



This genus has hitherto been represented by a single 

 species, Pithecheirus melanurns Cuv., occurring in Java and, it 

 is supposed, in Sumatra also, though no critical comparison 

 between the animals of these two islands has been made. 



It is a genus remarkable among the rodents of the 

 Malayan sub-region for its long soft pelage which extends for 

 some distance along the base of the tail, the remainder of that 

 organ being practically hairless; and for the peculiar molar 

 teeth. A full account, with illustrations, of P. melanurus is 

 given by Dr. Jentinck in " Notes from the Leyden Museum," 

 Vol. xii (iSgtj), p. 222; pi. 9, figs 1-4, and vol. xiv (1892), 

 p. 122; pi. 3/4, figs 5-8. 



In colour the Selangor animal apparently differs from 

 Javanese specimens which are " chestnut tinged with red "; 

 for the whole of the upper pelage, long, dense and very soft, is 

 tawny throughout, but less rich in tone on the sides of the 

 head and body and on the limbs. This colour occupies the 

 tips of the hairs only, the whole of the bases and median 

 portions being slate-coloured. There are a great many 

 longer hairs which project beyond the denser fur but they are 

 of the same colour and equally as soft as the latter. 



The undersurface is clear white throughout with the excep- 

 tion of the fur on the base of the tail which is similar to that of 

 the upper parts; and the chin, sides of the abdomen and lower 

 parts of the hind-legs which are suffused with warm buff. 



The ears are whitish at the base with pale brown tips and 

 are clad with short tawny hairs on both sides. The feet are 

 February, 1916. 7 



