SCIUKITS. 371 



C. Small striped squirrels ; nose to vent 

 5 to 7 inches ; back with pale longi- 

 tudinal bands ; upper cheek-teeth 

 generally 5. 



a. A pale line in middle of back ; ears 



not pencilled. 

 a'. Pale dorsal stripes distinct, extend- 

 ing- throughout the back. 

 a'. Pale stripes subequal, each more 

 thau j'o inch broad ; skull 1-8 



inch long S. j)ahnarum, p. 383. 



b" . Pale stripes subequal, each less 

 than i'^ inch broad ; skull I'oo 



long S. tristriatus, p. 384. 



c" , Middle pale stripe broader and 



much more distinct than lateral 'S'. laijarcU, p. 385. 

 b'. Pale dorsal stripes narrow, in- 

 distinct, confined to the middle of 

 back <S'. suhlineatus, p. 385 



b. A black line in middle of back ; head 



and body 5 inches ; ears pencilled . . S. macclellandi, p. 386. 



c. No pale line in middle of back ; head 



and body 7 inches ; ears not pen- 

 cilled 8. herdmorci, p. 387. 



The group of medium-sized squirrels contains so many variable 

 races, and intermediate forms between some of tliem are so fre- 

 quently met with, that the key here gi^•en may not always suflice 

 to distinguish individual specimens. It is doubtful wliether some 

 of the small striped squirrels have any genetic connexion with the 

 others similarly marked. 



239. Sciurus indicus. The large Indian Sqidrrel. 



Sciurus indicus, Erxleben, Syst. Regn. An. p. 420 (1777) ; Anderso??, 



An. Zool. Res. p. 222 ; Thomas, P. Z. S. 1886, p. 60. 

 Sciurus purpureus, Zimmennmin, Spec. Zool. Geog. Quad. p. 518 



(1777) ; Blyth, J. A. S. B. xvi, p. 808. 

 Sciurus malabaricus, Scopuli, Del. Faun. Flor. Ins. ii, p. 85 (1780) 



Schinz, Syn. Mam. ii, p. 32 ; Jerdon, Mam. p. 106. 

 Sciurus maximus, Schreber, Siim/th. iv, p. 784, pi. ccxvii b (1784) 



JElliot, Mad. Jour. L. S. x, p. 217; Blyth, J. A. S. B. xxviii 



p. 287 ; id. Cat. p. 98 ; Jerdo7t, Mam. p. 106 ; Ball, P. A. S. B 



1877, p. 170 ; Ariderson, An. Zool. Pes. p. 223. 

 Sciurus elphinstonii, Sykes, P. Z. S. 1831, p. 103 ; Jerdon, Mam. 



p. 107. 



Karrnt, Rasu, Ratuphar, Janyli gilheri, II. ; Jvdt berral, Beng. ; Hon- 

 deng, Kol. ; Shekra, Mahr. ; Kes annalu, Can. ; Bet udata, Tam. 



Ears with long dense tufts. Skull with the muzzle broader and 

 teeth larger than in B. hicolor. 



Colour. The upper parts, including the ears and nape, are either 

 wholly ferruginous red (rich chestnut or maroon), or the red is 

 more or less replaced by black on the shoulders, middle of the 

 back, rump, thighs, and tail. There is always a pale band across 



