1G8 sciUBiDj;. 



151. Sciurus macruroides. 



Hodgson. — S. bicolor, var. indica, Hobsfield, Cat. 204. — Blyth, Cat. 

 309. — S. gtganteus, McLellasd. — SMngsham, Bhot. — Li-hyuh, Lepch. 



The Black Hill Squirrel. 



Descr. — Uniform dark blackist-brown or black above, beneath and 

 round the lower part of the limbs fiilyous white ; posterior limbs whoUy 

 black externally, and the anterior ones black behind, and more or less so ex- 

 ternally ; a black cheek-band ; cheeks fulvous-gray with a large triangular 

 patch ; a rusty-red spot between the ears, which are sometimes pretty 

 densely tufted. 



Length, head and body 15 inches ; tail with the hair 16. 



The fur is more glossy and less wavy than in S. macrourus. The 

 pelage is sometimes blanched and rusty on the back towards the rump ; 

 and, in the young, it is said to be always thin and pale on the croup. 



I have here, with Hodgson, considered the south-east Himalayan squir- 

 rel, with its well-clad ears, as distinct from the Malayan race which has 

 the ear-conch almost nude. It is found in the south-east Himalayas, 

 Nepal and Sikim, also in the hill regions of Assam and Burmah. Near 

 Darjeeling I found it at about 5,000 feet of elevation, but by no means 

 common. It has been stated to occur in Southern India ; and a weU mark- 

 ed race or species 5. tennantii, is found at high elevations in Ceylon. This 

 may have been the one observed by me near Kotagherry. The nearly 

 allied S. bicolor is found in the Malayan peninsula, Sumatra, &c. It is 

 S. affinis of Raffles, S. aureiventris, Is. Geoffrey. 



152. Sciurus macrourus. 



FoRSTER. — Blyth, Cat. 313. — Horsfield, Cat. 211. — Hardwicke, 

 111. Ind. Zool. 2, 19. — S. ceylonmsis, Boddaebt. — Figd. Penkant'b 

 Indian Zoology. 



The Grizzled Hill Squirrel. 



Descr.— Head and neck, basal half of tail, and limbs externally, dull 

 maroon black, much grizzled with white, especially on the haunches, 

 sides, croup and tail, the apical end of which is brown with a ivhitish 



