RODENTIA. 5 



and stand upon the defensive with great bravery. In some 

 parts of Borneo they are said to be eaten ; some Bruni 

 Malays, however, whora we asked about it, expressed the 

 utmost disgust at the idea, though the same men would eat 

 any living thing which the sea produces, even down to the 

 Actinia. When made into soup they are excellent. 



Sciunis vittatus (Raffles, Lin. Trans.). 

 The Tupai (Gray, Cat. of Brit. Mus.). 



Colour above; yellowish gray, each hair being black, with two and 

 sometimes three bands of fawn colour ; below, brownish red ; tail of 

 the same colour as the upper body, except at the lower surface to- 

 wards the tip, where it passes into a rufous brown ; the gray of the 

 back is separated from the red of the belly, from the fore to the hind 

 l^gj by a double stripe, of which the lower part is black and the 

 upper yellowish white ; chin and space round the eyes, and extend- 

 ing back nearly to the ears, black; moustaches, long and black. Ears 

 rounded, short. 



Length, to base of tail, 8 inches. 

 „ of tail, 8 inches. 



This species appears to be rare in the island ; on the main 

 land at Bruni, however, they are very common and de- 

 structive to the young Cocoa-nuts. Sir T. S. Baffles, in vol. 

 xiii. of the " Transactions of the Linnsean Society," gives a 

 description of the Sciurus vittatus, which corresponds with the 

 above characteristics, except that the Labuan specimen 

 wants the fawn-coloured ring round the eyes which he 

 speaks of. 



Sciurus modestus. 



„ Phillipensis (Waterhouse, Proc. Z. S.)? 

 Bassing (Malay name). 



Head above, back, outer part of fore and hind legs dark oliva- 

 ceous colour, becoming lighter towards the lower parts, which are 

 yellowish white ; the colour of the tail resembles that of the back, 

 but is of a redder tinge. Tbe general colour of the upper parts is 

 produced by the separate hairs being black, banded with reddish 

 brown ; ears small, rounded ; moustaches black. 



Length to the base of tail, G inches G-tenths. 



Tail broken off, but appears to have been from 5 to G inches in 

 length. 



Nose to the base of the cars, 1 inch 4 -tenths. 



