36 On new Sciurus, Bhipklomys, d:c. from Venezuela. 



SylviJarjus meridensis, sp. n. 



A small dark -coloured species allied to S. andinus. 



General appearance very much as in S. andinus, the dorsal 

 colour rather darker (approaching " olive ") ; a warmer brown 

 tone along the middle of the back. Fur longer throughout. 

 Frontal region like back ; cheeks similar, but greyer, without 

 prominent markings ; hinder part of orbit inconspicuously 

 lighter. Ears very short, their basal tliird furry like the 

 head ; front part of outer surface brown ; inner surface dull 

 buffy. Nape dull greyish rufous, but little contrasted with 

 the general colour. Under surface dull soiled buffy, not 

 sharply defined laterally, the ends of the belly-hairs, espe- 

 cially in the inguinal region, dull buffy, with the grey bases 

 showing through. Arms dull tawny outside, the hands 

 richer tawny, but changing occasionally into white on the 

 digits ; inner aspect of arms dull buffy. Hind limbs similar, 

 the rump and legs scarcely more rufous than the back, the 

 feet dull tawny. Tail quite minute, coloured like the body, 

 rather blacker above. 



Approximate dimensions of the type (from skin) : — 



Head and body 350 mm.; tail 10 (?) ; hind foot (s. u.) 

 (wet) 72 ; ear (wet) 50. 



IJab. Sierra de Merida, Venezuela. 



Ti/pe. B.M. no. 4. 5. 14. 1. Collected by S. Briceno and 

 presented by Oldfield Tliomas. Two specimens. 



This little hare, or " rabbit '•* as it would be called in 

 America, is closely allied to the S. andinus oi the Ecuadorean 

 Andes, but differs by its rather darker general colour, its 

 soiled buffy instead of nearly white belly and hind feet, and 

 the absence of any tawny suffusion on the rump and hind 



leg'- 



Young specimens of S. meridensis were received some 

 years ago, and I was enabled to mention the occurrence of a 

 species of this group in the Sierra de Merida; but the present 

 are the first adults that have been obtained, and even now, 

 unfortunately, no skulls have been sent with them. The 

 cranial characters are, however, no doubt very much as in 

 S. andinus. 



Caluromys trinitatis leucurus, subsp. n. 

 Size as in C. trinitatis and C. t. venezuelce, therefore far 

 smaller than in C. philander. Fur close and velvety, the 

 hairs of the back only about 9 mm. in length. General 

 colour of the same dull tone as in venezuelce, near "clay- 

 colour,'^ the crown more rufous. Face grey, the dark median 

 line unusually prominent. Under surface and inner side of 

 limbs pale buffy, the dark of the sides encroacliiiig on tlie 



