CATALOGUE. 157 



RASOO and RATUFAR, of the inhabitants of the Monghyr 



Hills, Dr. F.B. Hamilton. 

 SHEKRA, of the Mahrattas, Elliot. 



HAB. Peninsula of India, Monghyr Hills, Hamilton. 



A. From the Collections of Dr. R Wight of Madras. 



B. A Drawing in the Collection of Dr. Francis (Bu- 



chanan) Hamilton. 



210. SCIUEUS ELPHINSTONII, Sykes, Proceed. Zool. 

 Soc. 1831, p. 103. 



" This very beautiful animal/' Colonel Sykes states in his Catalogue 

 of Dukhun Mammalia, " is found only in the lofty and dense woods 

 of the Western Ghauts, and has rarely been seen by Europeans in 

 Dukhun. It is of the size of the S. maximus, and the general arrange- 

 ment of its colours is the same ; and as the S. maximus passes through 

 some gradations of colour, the S. ElpMnstonii might be supposed by 

 casual observers to be a variety of that species. I am enabled to state, 

 however, from personal observation, that the latter does not change its 

 colour at any period of its life, specimens being in my possession of the 

 most tender and mature ages. 



" Ears, and whole upper surface of the body, half-way down the 

 tail, outside of the hind legs, and half-way down the fore legs outside, 

 of a uniform rich reddish chestnut. The whole under surface of the 

 body, from the chin to the vent, inside of limbs, and lower part of fore 

 legs, crown of the head, cheeks, and lower half of the tail, of a fine reddish 

 white, the two colours being separated by a defined line, and not merging 

 into each other. Feet of a light red. Forehead, and down to the nose, 

 reddish brown, with white hairs intermixed. Irides, nut-brown. Ears 

 tufted. Length of the male in my possession, from the tip of the nose 

 to the insertion of the tail, 20 inches. Length of the tail, 15J inches. 



" The cry of this animal is ' Chook, chook, chook,' at first uttered 

 slowly, and then rapidly ; and it is so loud as to have a startling effect. 



" I have dedicated this Squirrel to a very distinguished person, and a 

 zealous promoter of scientific research, the Hon. Mountstuart Elphin- 

 stone." 



SHEKROO, of the Mahrattas, Col. Sykes. 



HAB. Dukhun. 



A. B. C. Presented by Colonel Sykes. 



