360 SCIUBIDiE. 



Colour dull gi'eyish brown to brownish grey above, paler, some- 

 times ashy brown, below. Feet darker, sometimes blackish brown. 

 Basal half or more of dorsal fur leaden grey, terminal portion 

 whity brown with a dusky ring near the end. Ventral fur ashy 

 with whity-brown tips. 



Dimensions not accurately known. Skins measure, head and 

 body about 18 inches, tail uitli hair about 22; basal length of skull 

 about 2'7, zygomatic breadth I'S. 



Distribution. Gilgit, about 6000 feet ; probably also found at 

 higher elevations. A skin was obtained by the late Mr. Mandelli, 

 probably from some part of Tibet. 



Habits unknown. The blunt claws probably show that the animal 

 lives on rocks, perhaps amongst precipices, whilst the dense fur 

 indicates a very cold climate. 



Genus PTEROMYS, Cuv. (1800). 



Limbs united by a membrane or parachute extending to the toes 

 and supported by a bony cartilage attached to the ulnar (outer) 

 side of the wrist, and usually long enough when laid back to extend 

 to the elbow or beyond. There is an antebrachial 

 membrane from the fore limb to the side of the 

 neck, and an interfemoral membrane extending 

 down the hind limb to the heel, and attached to 

 the first two or three inches of the tail, which is 

 bushy, cylindrical, and as long as the head and 

 body or longer. Eur soft and rather long on the 

 back. 



Dentition : i. tj, pm. ^E^^-, t^- 3^3, as in Sciurus; 



-R- If molars large, crowns much complicated. Ver- 



f^eVchTeSeth & tebriB (in p. magni/icus) : C. 7, D. 12, L. 7, S. 3, 



P.magnijicus. -xl. C. 30. Three pairs of mammae, pectoral and 



ventral, none inguinal. 

 The large flying-squirrels constituting this genus comprise 

 several closely allied forms, some of which are probably not en- 

 titled to specific rank. The following occur within our area. All 

 flying-squiri'cls are, so far as is known, nocturnal animals. 



Synopsis of Indian, Ceylonese, and Burmese Species. 



A. Lower surface -white or grey, upper brown. . P. oral, p. 301. 

 13. Lower surface rufous; no white spots on 

 back. 

 a'. Head above coloured like the back. 



a". A short clearly deiiucd black tip to tail. 



a". Back paler in colour tliau parachute. P. ivoniafns, p. nfi3, 

 I'". Back deeper in colour than para- 

 chute P- matjnificvs, p. 804, 



