224 



SCIENTIFIC EESULTS FROM THE MAMMAL SURVEY. 



No. xn. 



J.— On the Squierels obtained by Messes. Shorteidge and 



Macmillan on the Chindwin River. Upper Bur:ma. 



(JVWi a coloured plate and map.') 



By Oldfield Thomas and R. C. Wroughton. 



(^Published by permission of the Trustees of the British JMuseum). 



The collection of Squirrels obtained on the Chindwin hj the 

 Society's collectors for the Mammal Siu'vev, G. C. Shortridge and 

 the late Capt. S. A. Macmillau, forms the most wonderful series 

 that has ever come to the National Musenm from any one district. 

 It was known already from certain of the striking forms described 

 by Thomas that the squirrels of this region would particularly repay 

 investigation, and special efforts were therefore made by the 

 collectors to form really complete series from as many stations 

 as possible. 



Thanks to favoni^able conditions and the ready help afforded them 

 by officials of all classes, Messrs. Shortridge and Macmillan's expe- 

 dition was most successful and especially so in regard to squirrels, 

 of which just on 4^00 specimens were obtained, illustrating thorough- 

 ly the squirrel life of both sides of the river from Yin in 22*-'' 50' N. 

 Latitude up to Hkamti 26*^ 5', near the source of the river, a distance 

 of about 250 miles. 



Knowing the problems involved, Mr. Shortridge was able to 

 make the series thoroughly illustrative of the subject, so that we have 

 never had to leave a question unsettled for want of material, at least 

 so far as the Chindwiu valley is concerned. The relation of this 

 river to the Irrawaddy to the East, and to Manipur on the 

 West, must, of course, await similar collections fi'om those 

 localities. 



One flaw only exists in the series, and for this the collectors are 

 not responsible. Namely that it is all made at one season of the 

 year, and therefore that matters arising from seasonal change cannot 

 now be dealt with. 



For this reason especially we wish to urge local residents or 

 visitors not to think that the s\i.bject is exhausted, as specimens 

 killed at different dates are still wanted from all localities. 



So far as we have been able to make out, the collection, which 

 belongs to the genera Ratifa, ^Callosci^irus, "^Tomenfes. Tamiopi^ 

 and Dremornijs and is exclusive of Flying Scpiirrels, includes 



* For the substitution of these two Generic names for the old name Sciurvs 

 see Thomas" paper Ann- Mag'. N. H. (S) xv. p. 38B, 1915. 



