MAMMAL SUE VET OF INDIA. 721 



Ratufa gigantea, McCl. 



The Assam Giant Squirrel. 

 1839. Sciurus giganteus, McClelland, P. Z. S, p. loO. 

 1891. Sciurus bicollor, Blanford, Mammalia, No. 240 (jmrtim). 



5 c? d, 7 $ $ . Gokteik, N. Shan States. 

 1 c^" ■ Pyaunggaung, N. Shan States. 



1 c? . Se'en, N. Shan States. 



1 2 • Mamsam Falls, N. Shan States. 



A large black squirrel, sometimes brownish black. Buffy yellow below ; 

 sides of face (beneath the ears) and underside of legs and neck also yellow; 

 tail black throughout. Head and body about 16 inches ; tail about the 

 same length. Weight about 5 lbs. This squirrel is similar in colour to the 

 Ceylon species R. macroura, but that squirrel is distinguished by having the 

 yellow markings extending over to the top of the arms and legs and having 

 slight pale markings on the head. Mr. Wroughton in his paper on the 

 " Giant Squirrels " (J. B. N. H. S. Vol. XIX, 1910), separates R. gigantea 

 from the Java R. bicolor and from Hodgson's macruroides. 



" Plentiful in all big forests especially round Gokteik, quite identical in 

 habits with other giant squirrels." — G. 0. S. 



Vernacular name. — Mamai (Shan). 



SCITJRXJS PHAYREI, Blyth. 



Phayre's Squirrel. 



1855. Sciurus phayrei, Blyth, J. A. S. B. XXIV, p. 472, 476. 

 1891. Sciurus phayrei, Blanford, Mammalia No. 247. 



7 c? d, 7 5 $ . Gokteik, N. Shan States. 



3 S $, 4t2 2 • Pyaunggaung, N. Shan States. 



6 6 6,Q 2 2- Se'en, N. Shan States. 



A grey squirrel finely speckled with black, some have a slightly brownish 

 yellow tinge ; tail of same colour with a somewhat ringed appearance, tip 

 black ; underside orange yellow with a distinctive blackish band, separat- 

 ing the grey from the orange, on the underside of the flanks. Feet pale 

 yellow ; whiskers black. Head and body aboiit 10 inches, tail, slightly 

 longer. Weight about 13J ozs. These specimens are rather greyer and 

 paler throughout than the Martaban and Tenasserim examples. 



" A particularly active species, its leaps from tree to tree almost rivalling 

 those of Ratufa. Around Hsipaw town and Se'en, even more plentiful 

 than atrodorsalis shanicus. Not observed at Maymyo." — G. C. S. 



Sciurus atrodorsalis shanicus, Ryl. 



The Shan squirrel. 



1914. Sciurus atrodorsalis shanicus, Ryley, Journ. B. N. H. S. Vol. XXII, 

 page 662. 



2 S 6 ,^2 2- Maymyo, N. Shan States. 



4 (5 (5 , 6 $ 5 . Gokteik, N. Shan States. 



13 (5 d, 3$ $. Pyaunggaung, N. Shan States. 



An olive brown squirrel, finely speckled with yellow and black ; ears 

 reddish yellow ; underside yellower than black, sometimes slightly tawny. 

 Middle of back shaded with black. Tail black and yellow. Head and body 

 about 8 inches in length, tail about 7 inches. 



" The most plentiful squirrel in Hsipaw State and around Maymyo, re- 

 calling Funambulus palmarum of India in its habit of collecting around 

 bungalows. The black mark on the back was seldom conspicuous except 

 in immature specimens." — G. 0. S. 



Vernacular name. — Soin (all small squirrels) (Shan). 



