TUPAIA TANA. 



extremity ; a very slight depression is observed a little anterior to the region of 

 the eyes. The nose is of a brown colour, slightly compressed at the sides, and 

 considerably extended beyond the lower lip; the nostrils are lateral, curved, and 

 broader in the middle. The head, between the region of the eyes and the ears, is 

 somewhat depressed ; it is connected with the neck, as in the other species, with- 

 out any diminution in the dimensions of the latter. The whiskers arising from 

 the upper hp, the chin, and the forehead, are short, and not numerous. The eyes are 

 large and prominent, and exhibit the same character as in the other species ; the pupil 

 is circular, and the irides are dark. The ears are placed at a great distance from 

 the eyes ; they are large, oblong, and provided with a narrow, rather membranaceous 

 heligma, which is closely applied to the head ; they resemble, indeed, in all essential 

 points, so nearly these organs in Tupaia javanica, that they require no detailed 

 description. The neck is shorter than the head, and increases gradually in dimen- 

 sions towards the breast. The body, as in the other species of Tupaia, is gracefully 

 formed, rather oblong, somewhat thicker at the rump, and, in the specimen from 

 which the description is made, the back is slightly arched. The tail, in Tupaia 

 tana, has a greater resemblance to that of Squirrels than in Tupaia javanica ; the 

 hau-s spread in all directions, and give it a bushy appearance ; its proportion in 

 length to the body, cannot be given with perfect accuracy, as a portion appeared to 

 be wanting in the specimen. The anterior extremities are shorter than the pos- 

 terior ; they are thicker near the shoulder, and gradually tapering towards the feet ; 

 the tarsus is of moderate length. The feet and toes agree in length and division 

 with those of the Bangsring. In the posterior extremities the thighs and legs are 

 robust, and the tarsi proportionally of great length. Of the toes the intermediate 

 one is longest ; the next on each side are somewhat shorter, and the thumb is placed 

 further back than the small toe. The claws have the same general character on both 

 extremities ; they are strongly compressed laterally, but broad in a horizontal direc- 

 tion, much curved, and fitted more for seizing their prey, than for digging the earth ; 

 they are rather wider and more vigorous on the posterior extremities, and indivi- 

 dually covered by a delicate tuft of long hairs arising from the extremity of the 

 toes. 



The fur of the Tupaia tana is soft and delicate. The general colour of the 

 upper parts is dark brown inclining to black ; of the lower, brown, with a reddish 

 tint. The separate hairs of the upper parts are banded alternately with grey and 

 dark brown, so as to form a variegated surface. The colour of the back is deeper 

 than that of the sides, and it increases in intensity towards the rump. Our animal 

 further exhibits the following distribution of distinctive marks: — The head and 

 snout are mixed blackish and gx-ay ; the throat is grayish, with a rufous tint. The 



