197 



SCIENTIFIC RESULTS OF THE MAMMAL SURVEY. 

 By Oldfield Thomas, F.R.S. 



No. VIII. 



(Published by ijermission of the Trustees of the British Museum.^ 



ON UPPER BURMA SQUIRRELS REFERABLE TO 

 8CIURU8 8LABENI AND HABINQTONI. 



The presentation by Mr. 0. S. Barton of a squirrel from the 

 Upper Ohindwin District of Bru^nia related to Sciurus sladeni has 

 given occasion for an examination of the specimens in the British 

 Museum that have been referred to this species and to the allied 

 8. haringtoni. 



A specimen collected by Capt. F. E. W. Venning, the discoverer 

 of Petaurista lylei venningi, has also just been received from the 

 Bombay Natural History Society. 



The skins before me, though few in number, show a remarkable 

 diversity in colouration, and as this diversit}^ is shown in ways not 

 usually variable in squirrels, and as such specimens as do come from 

 similar or near-by localities are quite identical, I have come to the 

 conclusion that the different forms should have special names, as in- 

 dicated in the following synopsis : — 



A. — General colour of hodj above grizzled 



olive-grey or rufous ... ... ...8. sladeni. 



a. Muz'ile and feet rufous or ochraceous, 



no dark line separating upper and 

 lower colours, 

 a". Back olive grey, not rufous. 



a^ Ochraceous colour on muzzle ex- 

 tending back nearly to ears. Feet 

 more ochraceous... ... ...8. sladeni sladeni. 



b^. Ochraceous of muzzle not extend- 

 ing on to forehead. Feet more 

 ferruginous ... ... ... 8. s. midas. 



¥. Back washed with ferruginous .. 8. s. rnbex. 



b. Muzzle and feet cream-buff. A dark 



demarcational line ... ... ... 8. s. bartoni. 



B. — General colour of body above cream-buff, 



below buffy ... ... ... ...8. haringtoni 



a Under-surfaoe buff. A distinct blackish 

 line separating the flank and belly 

 colours ... ... ... ...8. haringtoni 



haringtoni 

 . b. Under-surface ochraceous buff. No de- 

 marcational line ... ... ... 8. h. solutus. 



The essential characters of *S'. sladeni and A. am? r/toiit have been 



