1188 MB. K. I. POCOCK ON THE EXTERNAL CHARACTEBS 



Judging from, dried skins *, the feet of Rheithrosciurus are 

 relatively longer and thinner than those of Callosciitrus, and the 

 claws are longer. In the fore foot the three plantar lobes are 

 large, the median being well defined from the laterals. Of the 

 carpal pads, the outer is the smaller and narrow, and the inner 

 has an evenly convex margin and is not elongated and produced 

 distally so as to overlap the plantar lobe of the same side. In 

 the hind foot the four lobes of the plantar pad are not so large 

 or so closely packed as in Ccdlosciurti,s, and the outer and inner 

 are at most indistinctly subdivided ; the metatarsal area is naked 

 to the heel, the outer metatarsal is considerably shorter than in 

 other Oriental genera examined, and the inner metatarsal is small 

 and subspherical as in Ftmamhulus and many other genera of 

 Squirrels. (Text-fig. 47, A, B.) 



In the structure of the feet Rheithrosciurus is perhaps more 

 like some of the American subgenera of Sciurtts than it is like 

 other Oriental genera. 



The distinguishing characters of the feet of the Oriental 

 Squirrels above described may be tabulated as follows : — 



a. Pads enormous, internal carpal very prorainent on the 

 pollical side ; metatarsal pads confluent with plantar pad, 



the internal nearlj^ half the width of the metatarsus Ratufa. 



a'. Pads less developed, internal carpal less or not noticeably 

 prominent on pollical side ; metatarsals not confluent with 

 plantar pad. 

 h. Internal carpal long, narrowed distally, and overlapping 

 plantar pad on inner side ; internal metatarsal long. 

 c. Feet shorter and stouter, plantar pad of hind foot 

 larger, six-lobed, metatarsals thicker, external pro- 

 duced proximallj' beyond distal end of internal. CaUosciurus, Tomeutes. 

 c' . Feet longer and thinner, pads smaller ; external meta- 

 tarsal spherical set beyond distal end of narrowed 



internal metatarsal Ftmamhulus. 



b' Internal carpal pad apically rounded, onlj^ a little longer 

 than external and not reaching plantar pad ; internal 

 metatarsal relatively short Rheithrosciurus. 



b. Feet of the Trojncal African Squirrels. 



The two African species, Fanisciurus leucostigma and F. cepapi., 

 have feet of a more generalised type than those of the Oriental 

 species of Ratufa and Galloschtrus examined, the plantar, carpal, 

 and metatarsal pads being less well developed. The plantar pad 

 of the fore foot is three-lobed, of the hind foot four-lobed. The 

 inner carpal pad is not so elongated distally, and the outer meta- 

 tarsal is comparatively small, subcircular, or elliptical, and is set 

 on a level with the anterior end of the long rod-like inner meta- 

 tarsal or a little in front of it. Except that the feet are of 

 stouter build, they differ but little from those of Funamhulus 

 palmarum., although in the latter the inner carpal pad is produced 

 distally nearly as much as in CaUosciurus. (Text-fig. 48, 0-F.) 



* It must be remembered, however, that the proportions of the feet vary with 

 the preservation. In fresh specimens they appear to be plumper and shorter than 

 those contracted by alcohol, and the latter are, as a rule, less shrunk than the feet 

 on dried skins. 



