380 SCIUEID,5. 



249. Sciurus caniceps. The golden-hacked Squirrel. 



Sciurus caniceps, Gray, A. M. N. H. x, p. 263 (1842) ; Blyth, 3Iam. 

 Birds Burma, p. 30 ; Anderson, An. Zool. Res. p. 229 ; Blanford, 

 J. A. S. B. xlvii, pt. 2, p. 161 ; Thomas,^ P. Z. S. 1886, p. GS. 



Sciurus cliiysonotus, Bli/th, J. A. S. B. xA'i, p. 873, pi. xxxvii, fig. 1, 

 xxiv, p. 474 ; id. Cat. p. 103 ; Peters, P. Z. S. 1866, p. 429. 



Sciurus concolor, Blyth, J. A. S. B. xxiv, p. 474 ; id. Cat. p. 103. 



Two pairs o£ luammie, oue ventral and one iuguiual, as iu all 

 allied forms. Feet very broad. Soles of all feet bearing granular 

 tubercles between the pads. 



Colour above speckled greyish olive to rufous olive, the back in the 

 typical form changing in winter to orange or pale ferruginous red. 

 The dorsal hairs are blackish at the base, and iu the grey or olive 

 (suuimer) phase the terminal portion is alternately yellow and black, 

 2 riugs of each, the tip being black. In the orauge (winter) phase 

 all the terminal portion is orauge. Head frequeutly pale grey. 

 Lower parts speckled grey or olivaceous grey, often with a median 

 dark line. In Southern specimens the ilauks and sides of the 

 neck are bright rufous. Tail indistinctly anuulated, each hair 

 coloured alternately A^hitish aud black, usually about 4 riugs of each ; 

 lip of the tail for about 2 to 3 inches black. 



Dimensions of a female : head and body b-7 inches, tail without 

 hair 9*8, with hair 12" 1, hind foot 1*2, ear 0"5. In a male the tail, 

 without hair, is shorter than the head and body. Basal length of 

 skull 1'95, extreme length 2*3, zygomatic breadth 1-35. 



Distribution. Prom the neighbourhood of Moulinein, throughout 

 the Teuasserim provinces and Malay Peuinsula. Eare iu Amherst. 



Varieties, Two forms are included under this species, because in 

 the ordinary summer vesture they are indistinguishable ; as, how- 

 ever, oue has a distinct breeding livery and the other has not, it is 

 doubtful whether the two should not receive diiferent names. 

 These forms are : — 



1. Typical S. caniceps (S. chrysonotus, Blyth), the form found in 

 Northern Tenasserim near Moulmeiu. This is paler and greyer 

 than the next variety, and both sexes in winter have the back 

 orange. Mr. Thomas has shown, from the examination of a 

 large series of dated specimens, that the yellow colour of the 

 back begins to appear in patches about October, aud to dis- 

 appear aud be replaced by grey hair about March. 



2. S. concolor, found in Southern Teuasserim aud the Malay 

 Peninsula. This is darker in colour, both above and below, aud 

 has no seasonal change. Malay Peninsula skins have the sides 

 of the neck and flanks rufous. 



Habits. Probably precisely the same as those of all the allied 

 forms. Beavan found the nest of this squirrel in July with one 

 young oue in it, and observed that the species occurs at times near 

 houses, and occasionally descends to the ground to feed, but never 

 remains there long. The breeding-time apparently is in the spring. 



