ORDER RODENTIA. 183 



in Java, and the valuable collection at the India-House, 

 have enabled him to dilate upon them, with great benefit to 

 the subject, and we shall subjoin the result of his latest 

 investigations. 



The varieties of Leschenault's Squirrel, and the S. Bieo- 

 lor, are in many instances so strongly marked, that they 

 appear to be distinct species, until the gradual passage 

 from one to the other becomes apparent, by the exami- 

 nation of a series of specimens : — the name of Albiceps 

 was first given to the former of these ; but as its appli- 

 cation could not be general, M. Desmarest applied the 

 name of its discoverer as a specific appellative. One variety 

 in the India Company's Museum has the upper parts of a 

 testaceous colour, and all the under parts white. There is a 

 specimen of this variety also in Paris, of which we have a 

 drawing by Major Smith : it was treated as a distinct spe- 

 cies, under the name of S. Hypoleucos. 



Of the large Indian Squirrels, which are the subject of 

 these remarks, three species remain, which appear to have 

 clear distinguishing characters — the Sciurus Bicolor, the 

 Sciurus Leschenaultii, and the Sciurus Maximus. They 

 have all a dark colour above, varying from brown of va- 

 rious shades to black, a pale tint underneath, and a large 

 obtuse nail on the thumb of the anterior extremities ; but 

 the Sciurus Maximus has distinguishing characters, in a 

 reddish brown tint above, in a very large tuft of hairs 

 arising from the ears in several coloured bands on the 

 cheeks, and in a tail more full and bushy than in the other 

 species. The Sciurus Leschenaultii is distinguished by a 

 more uniform colour above, inclining to chestnut, a nearly 

 white under-side, and a grayish tint on the nose and an- 

 terior part of the head. The most common dress of 

 the Sciurus Bicolor is black above, and yellow underneath ; 

 in this it is easily distinguished from the two other 

 species. 



