SCrUEUS. 241 



orange-reel of the bellv occasionally becoming pure yellowish- white, sometimes 

 yeUow. In all the individuals, however, that I have examined, the ventral 

 asjoect is distinguished by a grizzled mesial line, and the end of the tail is blackish, 

 broadly tipped with orange-yellow. A pale-beUied individual was killed in Sep- 

 tember, but I have many others killed in the same locality on the same date and 

 of both sexes, in which the beUy has the characteristic orange-red of tliis species. 



There is a race in Assam which agrees with S. gordoni in the general colour 

 of the upper fur, but is considerably darker on the under surface, and the mesial, 

 grizzled line is occasionally absent. The tail also closely approaches the character 

 of S. gordoni, but it wants the sub-apical black band, but its extremity is washed 

 with orange or yellow as in this species. The Assam form is larger and darker, and 

 has sometimes been mistaken for S. hippurus and S. erythrceus, Pallas, and stands, 

 as it were, intermediate between the Chinese ventrilineated S. griseopectus and 

 ^S'. erytlircBtis ; and as it is doubtless quite as persistent as S. gordoni and sufficiently 

 distinct from S. erythrcEus, it may be indicated as the Assam var. of aS'. gordoni, 

 and, for reference, stand as var. intermedia. S. gordoni has the upper surface and a 

 narrow line from between the fore Hmbs along the middle of the body grizzled 

 olive-brown or greyish with a variable rufous tint ; the annulations are not so fine 

 as in S. erythrmis. The chin and the sides of the throat are paler- grizzled than on 

 the back and the lower part of the throat ; the chest, belly, and inside of the limbs 

 are either pale yellow or rich orange-yellow, or passing into pale chestnut in the 

 Assam variety in which the belly is rarely lineated. The ears are feebly pencilled. 

 The tail has the same proportions as in S. erythrcetis and aS'. castaneoventris, but it 

 is more persistently and uniformly concolorous with the body than in these species, 

 and is finely ringed with black and yellow, the rings being most distinct on the 

 latter fourth ; the tip is generally washed with orange-yellow. 



Length 9 inches, tail 7 inches. 



S. gordoni, in its Kneated belly, displays a closer afi^nity to >S'. castaneoventris, 

 which exhibits this character, than to S. erythrcBus. 



The skull of this species, although considerably smaller than that of 8. erijth- 

 rcBUS, yet resembles it in form, but differs from it in its smaller teeth. 



This squirrel ranges over Upper Burma to the north of the capital, where it is 

 very common about villages. Its var. intermedia occurs on the eastern side of 

 Assam, and is found also at Sadiya. 



SciURUS HIPPURUS, Is. Geoff. 



Sciurus hippurus, Is. Geoff, etub. Zool. i. 1832, n. 6, tab. 6; Zool. Voy. aux Ind. Orient. Beaanger, 

 18^4, p. 149; Miiller und Scblegel, Verliandl. 1839-44, pp. 86-92; Gervais, Voy. autoui- dJ 

 Monde, Eyd. et Sonl. Zool. vol. i. 1841, p. 39; Wagner, Scbreber, Saugeth. Suj^pl. vol. iii. 

 1843, p. 201; Schinz, Syn. Mamm. vol. ii. 1845, p. 36; Cantor, Journ. As. Soc. Beng." 

 vol. XV. 1846, p. 249 (in part); Blyth, Journ. As. Soc. Beng. vol. xvi. (in part), p. 171; 

 ibid.\o\.i^Y. 1855, p. 472, et p. 473 (note); Cat. Mamm. As. Soc. Mus. 1863/p.* 102- 

 Horsfield, Cat. Mamm. E. Ind. Co.'s Mus. 1851, p. 154. ^ • - , 



g2 



