PTEROMYS. 279 



P. elegmis, P. punctahis, P. caniceps, P. albiventer, P. nitidus, P. magnifictis, 

 P. phceomelas, P. leucogenys, P. xcmtJiipes, P. alborufus, P. melcmopterus, P. 

 tephromelas, P. layardii, F.ftiscocapillus, and. P.fimbriatus ; whereas it is partially 

 distichous in P. melanofis, and is wholly so in P.pearsonii, P. momonga, F . pulveru- 

 lentus, P. alboniger, P. horsfieldii, P. genibarbis, P. lepidus, P. phayrei, P. spadi- 

 ceus, and P. volans. The wing parachute, however, in all the members of the 

 group is the same, although some naturalists have described it ia /S*. sagitta as 

 having an expansion in front of the fore hmb, which does not exist in the other 

 species, but this is unquestionably an error. I am therefore disposed to regard 

 the flying squirrels generally as constituting a well-defined, generic group, the 

 parallel of the genus Sckims which consists of an extensive series of specific forms 

 distinguished by a remarkable uniformity of structure both in their skulls and 

 skeletons and in the formation of their soft parts. 



Pteeomys oeal,^ Tickell. 



Taguan. ou grand Ecureiiil volant, Buffon, Hist. Nat. Suppl. vol. iii. (in part), 1766, p. 150, pi. xxi. 



et xxi. bis; Vosmaer, Reg. An. 1767, (in part) plate. 

 Fteromys jpetaurista, Schreber, Saugeth. vol. iv. 1792, p. 819, pi. 3 24 A, fig. Buffon^s (in part) ; 



Desmarest, Mamm. 1820 (in part), p. 342; Gray, Hand-List, Mamm. B. M. 1843, p. 133; 



Muller and Schlegel, Verhandl. 1839-44, p. 106 (in part); Schinz, Syn. Mamm. vol. ii. 1845, 



p. 50 (in part) ; Blyth, Journ. As. Soc. Beng. vol. xvi. 1847, p. 865 (in part) ; Cat. Mamm. 



As. Soc. Mus. 1863, p. 94; Horsfield, Cat. Mamm. E. Ind. Co.'s Mus. 1851. p. 159 (in part) ; 



Jerdon, Mamm. Ind. 1867, p. 174. 



^ As the term P. petaurista has been generally applied to large flying squirrels from the Moluccas, Philippines, 

 Malayan islands and India, and to widely difEerent forms, I have retained the term P. oral for the Indian species, 

 as first clearly indicated by Tickell, and P. cineraceus for the Burmese and Malayan animal, which was first recognised 

 by Blyth as a distinct species. It seems to me, however, very doubtful that the latter form is specifically separable 

 from P. oral. The following are some of the chief references to the literature of the subject: — 

 BufEon, Hist. Nat. Suppl. vol. iii. 1766, p. 150; Pennant, Hist. Quad. vol. ii. 1792 (red) p. 151 ; Vosmaer, Reg. Ann. 



1767 ; Pallas, Miscell. 1766, p. 54, pi. vi. figs. 1-2 ; Erxleben, Syst. An. 1777, p. 238 ; Zimmerman, Geograph. 



Gesch. 1780, vol. ii. p. 349; Boddaert, Elench. Animal, 1785, voLi. p. 120; Gmelin, Lin. Syst. 1788, p. 155 ; 



Schreber, Saugeth. vol. iv. 1792, p. 819, pis. 224 A and B. (fig. Buf^on) ; Shaw, Genl. Zool. 1801, vol. ii. pt. i. 



p. 160, pis. 152 et 153 ; Ouvier, Reg. Ann. vol. i. 1817, p. 207 ; Desmarest, Mamm. 1820, p. 341 ; P. Cuv. Diet, des 



Sc. Nat. vol. xliv. p. 41 ; Lesson, Man. de Zool. 1827, p. 241 ; Is. Geoff. St.-Hil. Diet. Class. d'Hist. Nat. vol. xiv. 



1828, p.- 341 ; Fischer, Syn. Mamm. 1829, p. 362 ; Wagner, Schreber, Saugeth. Suppl. vol. iii. 1843, p. 221, 



pl.224B; Muller und Schlegel, Verhandl. 1839-44, p. 106; Schinz, Syn. Mamm. vol. ii. 1845, p. 865 ; Blyth, 



Journ. As. Soc. 1827, vol. xvi. p. 865. 



In the Leyden Museum there is a large flying squirrel, of which, however, the history is unfortunately unknown ; 

 the tail also is imperfect. It is remarkable on account of the peculiar character of its colouring. The head, including 

 the cheeks and the sides of the neck and throat, are brick-red ; the upper surface of the head being grizzled with white. 

 The same colour spreads over the shoulder, back, and sides to the end of the lumbar region, and on these parts it is also 

 grizzled with whitish, which produces a pale yellowish-red tint. The middle of the back is marked by a transverse, 

 dark narrow brown band. The rump, thighs and feet are pale yellowish-white. The middle of the membrane is paler 

 than the back, and the portion external to the shoulder is reddish-yellow, tending to white, while the wrist elongation is 

 rich red-brown. What remains of the tail resembles the colour of the lumbar region. All the under parts are red. 

 There is a pale yellow area around the eye. The ears are small for the size of the animal and are sharply pointed. 

 The cheek-bristles are only feebly developed. The body measures 23 inches along the back. 



This is doubtless one of the many species which have been referred to 8. petaurista, and it is interesting to recollect 

 that the Leyden Museum contained some of the first flying squirrels referred to P. petaurista. This old specimen 

 stands without a name. 



