328 Dr. J. Anderson on Testudo Phayrei. 



genus Sciurus being separated into genera by organic charac- 

 ters, such as the shape of the skull and pencilling of the ears. 

 Will Dr. Gray point out where I made such a statement, and 

 will he indicate one single structural character he has enu- 

 merated in either of the foregoing definitions that is of the 

 slightest value as such ? The character on which Dr. Gray 

 places so much reliance is the absence or presence of a tuft of 

 hair on the ear — a character, I submit, of the most unreliable 

 nature, and subject to every possible amount of variation, even 

 on Dr. Gray's own showing. The relative length of the tail 

 to the body is another character that finds favour with Dr. 

 Gray ; but every anatomist is aware that the number of caudal 

 vertebras is very liable to vary in individuals of the same 

 species. Macacns lasiotus should be a warning to Dr. Gray 

 not to place his faith in tails ; for they sometimes lead to tales 

 of sad misfortunes in zoology and to most erroneous conclu- 

 sions. To structural characters properly so called there is not 

 the faintest allusion in Dr. Gray's definition of the above 

 genera, if I exclude a passing reference to the smooth com- 

 pressed incisors, which Dr. Gray calls cutting-teeth, and to 

 the unstable character of a first molar that is often wanting. 

 Neither do these definitions contain any reference whatever to 

 the skulls, nor does Dr. Gray describe the skulls under the 

 species ; yet he counsels me to study structural characters. I 

 have critically gone over every Asiatic squirrel in the British 

 Museum, skins and mounted specimens, to which I believe 

 Dr. Gray refers when he speaks " o/" « large series of species, 

 including a large collection of specimens ;" and I have carefully 

 examined the extensive collection of species and specimens of 

 squirrels in this museum, and have removed the skull from each 

 species ; so that I have had ample opportunities of judging whe- 

 ther any importance is to be attached to Dr. Gray's character 

 of the tufting of the ears in dividing the Asiatic squirrels ; and 

 I unhesitatingly say that the conclusion I have arrived at is 

 that there is not. With regard to the lineation of the squir- 

 rels, all that I said was, that the Asiatic squirrels, for con- 

 venience' sake, without any subdivision of the genus Sciurus 

 into genera, as Dr. Gray would seem to think I had suggested 

 should be done, may be grouped as the simply grizzled squir- 

 rels, dorsally, laterally, and ventrally banded squirrels. Dr. 

 Gray characterizes this as a retrograde proposal ; but in his 

 own Synopsis of his so-called Asiatic Macroxi, Dr. Gray 

 divides them on similar principles, selecting the longitudinal 

 streaks as his sole guide, with the single exception of one 

 species founded upon the length of its tail. I hold that my 

 arrangement is in advance of Dr. Gray's, who was unaware of 



