506 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXII. 



stripes ; a red-brown head ; grizzled tail, red on its underside ; the back 

 sometimes has a black patch and often a rusty-red appearance. Under- 

 side greyish white. Head and body about 7 inches, tail 6 inches. 



" Only locally plentiful in Coorg, in some places being distinctly un- 

 common ; I have noticed this in many parts of Southern India, both with 

 Funambulus tnstriatus and palmarum, and considered that they must die off 

 locally from time to time from some epidemic. Bubonic plague has been 

 suggested as the cause in some places. There appeared to be much varia- 

 tion in the markings and colouration of the striped squirrels from Coorg. 



Sciurus tnacrurus is recorded by Blanford from Southern Mysore and 

 shouild be looked for in the deciduous jungles near the Coorg-Mysore 

 boundaries, although I received no information of its occurrence anywhere 

 in Coorg".— G. C. S. 



Vernacular names: — Sunni, Alalu, Alxjqunsha, 



Funambulus sublineatus, Waterh. 

 The DusJci/ Striped Sguirrel. 



1838. Sciurus sublineatus,'Wsitev}\o\\se, P.Z.S., p. 19. 



1842. Sciurus delesserti, Gervais, Mag. Zool., pi. 31. 



1851. Sciurus trilineatus, Blyth, J.A.S.B., XX, p. 163 (nom. nud), 



1891. Sciurus suhhneatus, Blanf ., Mammalia No. 256. 

 2 J d. Kutta, S. Coorg. 



A small brown squirrel speckled with dull greenish grey, having four 

 dark-brown longitudinal stripes separated by three pale ones : vmder- 

 surface of a yellower shade : feet same colour as body ; tail of a rather 

 darker speckled colour. Length of head and body about 5 inches, tail 

 rather less; weight of a male 1-| ounces. 



" Apparently local and by no means plentiful in Coorg. Mr. Cuthell 

 informs me that these squirrels occur in pairs in damp gullies in the 

 thickest forest, particularly where the soil is favourable for the growth of 

 wild ginger and cardamoms. Said to be extremely shy and difficult to 

 discover among the creepers and tangled undergrowth that they frequent ; 

 hiding behind the trunks of trees and making off at the slightest sound." — 

 G. C. S. 



Vernacular name : — Gooda-Sunni. 



Platacanthomys lasiukus, Blyth, 

 The Malabar Spiny Mouse. 



1859. Platacanthomys lasiurus, Blyth., J. A. S. B., XXVIII, p. 288. 



1891. Platacanthomys lasiurus, Blanford, Mammalia No. 263. 

 24 c5" c? , 14 2 5 , 4 in al. Virajpet, S. Coorg. 

 1 (5 . Near Mercara, N. Coorg. 



General colour brown, underside dirty white. Fur on back mixed with 

 flat stiff spines, underfur grey white at the base becoming brown, with the 

 extreme tip of the spines white, tail dark-brown and bushy at the end ; 

 whiskers long and black. Head and body 5^ inches, tail 4 inches, weight 

 of a female 2f ounces. 



" Apparently very local, although extremely plentiful where it occurs. 

 The specimens were chiefly obtained by the natives, who smoked them out 

 of hollow trees around Virajpet : they discovered the trees these animals 

 lived in with wonderful accuracy, and when smoked they came out of the 

 hollow ends of dead branches, Platacanthomys is known to exist as far 

 north as the Kadur District in Western Mysore. 



Said to be fond of feeding on Cardamoms, and to occasionally get into 



