428 DR. W. PETERS ON MAMMALS FROM BURMAH. [Nov. 22, 



3. Sciurus atrodorsalis, Gray, Ann. Nat. Hist. x. p. 213, 

 1842. 



Sciurus atrodorsalis et S 1 . hyperythrus, Blvth, Journ. As. Soc. 

 1855, xxiv. pp. 474 & 477 ; 1862, xxxi. p. 333. 



"Nos. 3, 4, 5, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, Salween valley, August." 



" No. 7, Moulmein, July 28th ; No. 8, Moulmein, July 29th." 



Capt. Beavan has added the following notes : — 



" Blyth, in 'J. A. S.' for 1862, p. 333, thus describes the differ- 

 ence between S. atrodursalis and S. hyperythrus. 



" 'S. hyperythrus, nobis (said to be from Moulmein, but more pro- 

 bably from the hills bordering the Sitang valley), is very like S. atro- 

 dorsalis ; hut has black whiskers, the back, sides, and exterior of 

 limbs quite uniformly coloured, and no trace of the black patch upon 

 the back.' And in a note, with reference to specimens in the museum 

 of the Asiatic Society: — ' We have specimens of S. atrodorsalis with- 

 out the black dorsal patch ; but the whiskers are white, aud the 

 general colouring, especially that of the tail, readily distinguish them 

 from S. hyperythnts.' In the collection now sent will probably be 

 found specimens of both species, if indeed they are distinct, which I 

 am inclined to doubt. In some the whiskers are mixed black and 

 white. They are all, pending a further comparison, labelled S. atro- 

 dorsalis. Nos. 3, 4, 5, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13 were killed on my re- 

 cent trip up the Salween, where they were abundant in high trees 

 about the villages on the proper left (Amherst) bank of the river. 

 Nos. 7 and 8 were killed in Colonel Brown's garden in Moulmein, 

 and are thus noted : — 



"Description of a specimen in the flesh, killed at Moulmein, 

 July 28th, 1865:— 



" No. 7. S. atrodorsalis, Gray. Full-grown male. Total length 

 18 inches ; tail 10J. Irides dark brown ; ears round, small ; teeth 

 yellowish orange, rather dull-coloured ; face, ears, and the tip of nose 

 reddish ; black patch on back slight ; belly, inside of forearm, and 

 hind legs rufous maroon' ; tail grizzly rufous, lighter at tip ; inside 

 of paws brown ; claws brown, with white tips ; whiskers, the hinder 

 pair large, strong, and pure white, with black hairs nearer the nose ; 

 testes well developed. 



" Forearm (elbow to wrist) 1 1 ; wrist to tip of nails 1 k nearly ; 

 hind leg, tibia 2f ; foot 2, to end of elbow. 



" No. 8. July 29th. Specimen in flesh ; a male, older than the 

 preceding, of a deeper rufous maroon underneath ; nose, ears, and 

 face more rufous ; tail more bushy ; paws, both hind and fore, griz- 

 zled black ; the back pure black for 5 inches ; tail more rufou3. 

 Length 18 inches ; tail 10 inches, the tip of which is rufous white. 

 No black hairs at all amongst the white whiskers." 



The interesting series collected in such a judicious manner by Capt. 

 Beavan proves clearly that he is quite right in uniting S. hypery- 

 thrus, Blyth, with S. atrodorsalis. 



According to Mr. Blyth no. 8, with white whiskers, would be a 

 typical specimen of S. atrodorsalis ; no. 3, 11, and 13, with black 

 whiskers, a specimen of S. hyperythrus. But not only the specimen 



