NOTES ON MAMMALS FOUND IN THE SIMLA DISTRICT. 741 



MeasuremenU : 



Sex — (S {adults). Head and body 344 mm. — 385 mm.; tail 452 mm. 

 — 456 mm. ; hindfoot 71 mm. — 76 mm. ; ear 43 mm. — 50 mm. 



Sex — 5 {adults). Head and body 356 mm. — 388 mm. ; tail 433 mm. 

 — 476 mm. ; hindfoot 73 mm. — 75 mm. ; ear 43 mm. — 46 mm. 



The extreme lengths of five skulls, from the supra-occipitals to the end 

 of nasals, vary from 71 mm. to 73 mm. ; and the breadths across the 

 zygomatic arches from 46 mm. to 50 mm. 



This handsome Squirrel is tolerably common in all the forests here, and 

 generally keeps above 6,000 feet. It usually lives by itself in the holes of 

 large trees, but it is sometimes found in small colonies inhabiting the roofs 

 of bungalows, godowns, etc. Its diet consists chiefly of acorns and other 

 wild fruits : the mulberries and walnuts, when in season, are a great stand- 

 bye. Like the next species, it is confiding in its habits, and visits the trees 

 in the compounds here freelj^ When feeding it is much noiser in its move- 

 ments than Sciu)-o2)teyus fimbriatus, and when both these species happen to 

 meet on the same branch, a fight generally ensues. 



Its cry is a mournful " K6-6-oh ", repeated several times. 



1 have been unable to ascertain when it breeds. 



According to Blanford this Squirrel is said to hibernate in Kashmir, but it 

 certainly does not do this here, as I have procured specimens at all seasons. 



When collecting these animals, I was much struck with the curious fact 

 that the males predominated enormously over the females in numbers ; the 

 proportion works out to about 8 in 1. The same was the case as regards 

 the next species. 



These animals can easily be tamed, even if taken when they are full 

 grown. 



The following facts showing that the death-rate is sometimes selective 

 among species dift'ering little from each other in habits, came under my 

 observation a few years ago, and deserve notice : — A colony of these 

 Squirrels inhabited the loft of my bungalow in Simla for several years. 

 During the summer of 1911, I noticed that they began to die oft' one after 

 another, without any apparent cause. This led me to examine some other 

 haunts of this species which I had previously discovered at dift'erent parts 

 of the station, and where, to my surprise, I found evidence of a similar 

 high rate of mortality. In the neighbouring Jungles some more dead 

 bodies of these Squirrels were discovered. It was out of the question to 

 take any measurements of the dead animals, as in all cases the remains 

 were in a highly decomposed state ; but there were two points which 

 struck me at the time as worth noting, viz. {a) all the Squirrels which had 

 died belonged to one species (P. fuliinus) ; the other species of Flying 

 Squirrel, which abounds here, did not seem to be affected in anyway ; 

 and {b) only the revy old individuals of P. fulvinus appeared to have 

 succumbed to the disease. It was curious that not a single dead young 

 or immature one was found anywhere, though special search was made 

 for these. 



33. SciUKOPTEKus FiMBKiATTJs, Gray. — The Small Flying Squirrel.. 



(Blanford No. 233.) 



Measurements: 



Sex— (S {adults). Head and body 227 mm. — 267 mm.; tail 242 mm. — 

 267 mm.; hindfoot 45 mm. — 50 mm.; ear 40 mm. — 41 mm. 



Sex — $ {adidts). Head and body 231 mm. — 254 mm.; tail 229 mm. — 

 267 mm.; hindfoot 51 mm. — 55 mm. ; ear 41 mm. — 47 mm. 



12 



