90 Proceedings of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. [No. 1, 



brown of the upper-parts all but totally conceals the dark grey : in 

 the adults the brown tips are much less developed, and there is 

 scarcely any difference in colour above and below. The largest spe- 

 cimen (a skin) has the tarse f in. A female skin in spirit measures 

 about 5 in., with the tail nearly 3 in. ; tarse plus f in. Amoy.* 



S. ? The young of a large species of Shrew, which at first 



sight might be deemed an albino, but on closer examination is seen 

 to be of a very albescent grey colour, which is probably typical. Ex- 

 tremely doubtful as a leucoid variety of the preceding. 



Sciurus castaneoventeis, Gray, Br. Mus. Catal. : Sc. griseopec- 

 tus, nobis, J. A. S. XVI, 873. 



MUS DECUMANUS, L. 



M. elavescens, Gray. Not full-grown apparently. 



M. ? A diminutive species seemingly; rather than the 



young of a Mouse affined to M. musculus ; approximating the de- 

 scription of M. vagus, Pallas, only the tail is of the same length as 

 the head and body. Entire length about 4 inches only ; the tarse with 

 toes -f inch, or decidedly long in proportion. Ear-conch as in M. 

 MUSCULUS ; but more clad with small hairs within. It is not de- 

 sirable to name it from a single skin. 



Ceevus taiouanus, nobis, n. s.f The ' Spotted Deer' of China has 

 been currently but vaguely identified with the Axis or ' Spotted Deer' 

 of India ; but I have long doubted the correctness of that identifica- 

 tion. The question is completely decided, so far at least as the Deer 

 of the island of Formosa is concerned — and I am tolerably sure that 

 this is the (imported ?) ' Spotted Deer' of China, — by a skull now sent 

 by Mr. Swinhoe, which belongs strictly to the JSlapltine and not to the 

 Acoine group of Deer : being the smallest and southernmost in its 

 distribution of that group, the northern tropic crossing the middle of 

 the island, and the southern cape of Formosa lying in about the same 



* I have since obtained what seems to be the same species from the vicinity of 

 Calcutta ; and Major Tytler assures me that he has several specimens collected 

 at Barrackpore : but it seems distinct from a still darker Shrew sent from S. 

 Malabar, my dubious S. vibidescens, J. A. S. XXVIII, 2S5. More extensive 

 comparison of the skulls, especially, is needed to determine the identity or non- 

 identity of these Shrews from various localities satisfactorily. I had long been 

 assured of the existence of a large black Shrew in Lower Bengal, which the natives 

 imagine to be fearfully venomous ! 



t This name is suggested by Mr. Swinhoe, in reference to the island's name of 

 Taiwan, seu Formosa. 



