Gt-neric Arrangement of the African Squirrels. 471 



no means sure about. Probably it is most akin io Protoxerns, 

 ill wliich Dr. Forsyth Major included it, but the shape of its 

 skull is so very different that there can be no doubt it should 

 be allowed treneric rank. 



4. FUNISCIURUS. „ 



Type. 



Trouessart, Le Nat. ii. no. 37, p. 293 (1880) F. lemniscatus. 



Xerus, subg. Paraxerus, Major, t. c. p. 189 (in part. ; 



not the type). 



Skull elongate, smooth, rounded above, with a long muzzle ; 

 anterior ridge of zygoma-root falling far short of the maxillo- 

 premaxillary suture ; infraorbital foramen narrow, slit-like, 

 in front of the level of J»^ 



Cheek-teeth -, hypsodont, rounded in section. P' pro- 

 portionally well developed. P* without specially marked 

 anterior cu^^p. Lower molars consisting of four well-marked 

 transverse ridges, subequal in height, with well-defined 

 (usually blackened) clefts between them ; no individual 

 cusps much surpassing the general level of the teeth. (See 

 figures by de Winton, Ann. & Mag. N. H. (7) ii. p. 10, 

 1898.) 



Range. West African Subregion only *. 



This genus would seem to be the representative of 

 Parnxerus in the West African Forest region. The teeth 

 of Fnnisciurus are very highly specialized, far more so than 

 in Paraxerus, and may be readily recognized by the characters 

 above given. 



5. Paraxerus. ^ 



Type. 

 Xerus, subg. Paraxerus, Major, P. Z. S. 1893, p. 189 .... P. cepapi. 



Skull somewhat elongate and rounded, but less so than in 

 Funisciurus, the muzzle intermediate between that of the 

 latter and normal squirrels. Anteorbltal foramen and 

 zygomatic ridge as in Funisciurus. 



Cheek-teeth -. P' well developed; p* rounded in section, 



without prominent anterior cusp. Molars rather hypsodont, 

 and with a tendency to the development of the transverse 

 ridges found in Funisciurus, but less specialized than those 

 of the latter. Lower molars similarly with foui' transverse 



* Unless SciurusJIavivittis, Peters, proves to belong to this genus. 



