RODENTIA. O 



the trunks and branches with agility equal to that of our 

 common Squirrels. When caught they are very fierce, and 

 will fly at one's hand with the ferocity of a bulldog. We 

 have seen several half-tame individuals, and have been told 

 that if taken young they become as tame as kittens. In 

 felling a large old tree at Tanjong Kubong,* a whole family, 

 male, female, and two young ones, was caught ; being broad 

 daylight the poor things seemed quite discomfited, and made 

 no attempt to escape ; not having a cage ready they were put 

 into a tub until the next day, and during the night the parents 

 and one young one escaped ; the next day the remaining 

 young one was put into a cage, and at night the female came 

 back to the tub, as it was supposed, to seek it ; she was 

 caught and put into the cage with her young ; to our great 

 regret, however, she killed it. She lived for several weeks, 

 eating chiefly boiled rice and plantains, and drinking great 

 quantities of water ; she remained very fierce to the last ; 

 she always slept huddled up in a corner with her flying mem- 

 brane folded up quite out of sight and her tail round her 

 neck, a sleeping posture we have noticed in every individual 

 we have ever seen. The young ones were very thickly furred, 

 and the hair on the tail much longer than in the adults ; 

 their colour was a dull ashy gray, and they altogether looked 

 so unlike their parents, that, but that they were caught with 

 them, and had no teeth developed except the incisors, we 

 should have fancied them another species. 



Gen. Sciunis. 



Sciurus ephippiiim (Gray). 

 Sang karawak (Malay name). 



Crown of the bead, black, the hairs being generally tipped with 

 rufous, the latter colour predominating towards the nose, which is 

 itself, however, nearly black ; ears, sides of the head, neck, chin, 

 upper throat and front and hinder edge of the fore legs rufous ; 

 back black ; upper neck, shoulders, flanks and upper part of the 

 thighs yellowish gray, the hairs being black and tipped with sandy 



* Tanjong Kubong, where the residence of Mr. Motley is situated, is a point of 

 land at the north-eastern part of the island, and its name indicates an abundance of 

 the Taguans, Kubong being the name for these animals in the Malay language, and 

 Tanjong for a point of land. 



B 2 



