SCroEUS. 249 



a feeble, narrow, mesial, grizzled line. The ventral surface is never tinged with 

 bright orange as in S. lokriah. The tail is generally the same as the back, but the 

 hairs are more coarsely annulated, while in others the annuli tend to group them- 

 selves in black and yellow rings, the tip being black in some, obscurely annulated in 

 others. The tail hairs have their bases yellow, instead of dark grey, and they have 

 two to three additional annuli. The ears are clothed with short non-adpressed 

 annulated hairs. No white tuft behind the ears. In the form referable to S, blythi% 

 a white spot occurs on the inguinal region of the thigh in the position in which 

 the rufous of the so-called red-legged squirrels is developed. The groin, in some of 

 these squirrels, shows also a decided rufous tinge, while the remainder of the belly 

 is sullied grey- white. If these forms were without the white thigh-spot they would 

 exactly conform to the type of S. assamensis. A squirrel in the British Museum 

 labelled S. tytleri, Yerreau (Indes Orientales) agrees with S. hlythii. 



Blyth ^ states that he had seen a specimen of this species renewing its coat and 

 acquiring its hymeneal dress, and describes it as assuming a variegated appearance, 

 during the period of transition. 



I have compared the skulls of those forms referable to S. assamensis, and 

 S. blythii, with the skulls of Hodgson's types of S. loTcroides, and do not detect any 

 difference between them, whereas their skulls differ in the same respects from 

 S. lokriah, which is altogether a smaller skull with an entirely differently formed 

 facial portion. In S. lokroides, the inter-orbital portion of the skull is broad, more 

 especially between the anterior angles of the orbits, and the muzzle is thus broad 

 at the base and triangular, whereas in S. lokriah the inter-orbital portion of the 

 skull is much narrower anteriorly and posteriorly, and the muzzle is narrow at the 

 base, and of nearly equal breadth throughout. The muzzle of S. lokroides is also 

 very much deeper than in S. lokriah. The nasals of the latter are long and narrow, 

 while they are much shorter and broader in the former, and not reaching nearly 

 so far back as in S. lokriah. There are many other differences, but these are 

 sufficient to indicate that they are quite distinct species. 



Blyth at first considered S. lokroides and S, assamensis as identical, and he 

 stated that from an examination of a very considerable number of specimens collected 

 at Darjeeling, and in different parts of Assam, Cherra Punji, Tippera, and Arracan, 

 he could not perceive any diversity whatever in those from different localities, unless 

 it might be, perhaps, that on the average the Himalayan specimens were somewhat 

 more rufescent underneath ; but every gradation was observed. Notwithstanding, 

 in 1863, he separated S. assamensis and S. lokroides, regarding the squirrel 8. hlythii 

 as identical with ^. assa'inensis, but the type of the latter, which unfortunately is in 

 a miserable condition, corresponds with 8, lokroides, but differs from 8. hlythii 

 in the absence of the white spot on the thigh. Horsfield, however, referred a 

 specimen of the latter type to >S'. assamensis, and I believe correctly. 



A jet-black squirrel of the same proportions as this species occurs in Sylhet and 

 Cachar, and I am disposed to regard it as specifically identical with it. 



' Journ. As. Soc. Beng. 1849, p. 603. 



h2 



