PTEROMYS. 287 



As remarked under P. caniceps, this species is closely allied to it, — so much so, 

 that if the grey head and the apparently rather larger ears of the latter are omitted, 

 one description would be equally applicable to both. 



The fur has the same characters as in P. caniceps, in density, texture and 

 colouring. The longer hairs have, as a rule, a sub-apical white band which can only 

 be detected by careful observation, and they appear to be much more numerous than 

 in P. caniceps. The general colour of the body and head is a reddish-bay, darker 

 on the upper surface of the parachute and on the outside of the limbs. There is 

 occasionally a dark-brown band over the nose, a similar area around the orbits, and 

 at the base of the wliiskers ; and the feet are black in some, while in others they 

 are the same colour as the legs. The cheeks are greyish. 



Habitat. — Nepal, and the North- Western Himalaya to Kashmir. 



In the Leyden Museum there is a large flying squirrel which was obtained by 

 Dr. Jerdon in Kashmir and presented to the Museum by the Marquis of Tweedale. 

 It is almost jet black on all the upper parts, but slightly brownish on the upper 

 surface of the fore limbs and membrane. The cheeks are brownish. The only 

 portions of the under parts that are not concolorous with the back are the chin, throat, 

 chest and belly, which are brownish. A line of grey extends along the middle 

 of the belly. The tail is concolorous with the upper parts and is very bushy. 

 This seems to be a melanoid variety of this species, equivalent to the like varieties 

 which occur in the genus Sciurus, e. g., in S. pialniarum and ^S*. lokroides. 



A writer in the Indian Sporting Hevieio^ mentions that flying squirrels are 

 numerous in the forests abou.t Wurdan, in Kashmir, and that they live on the tops 

 of the dead fir trees, where they make a hole in the bark and hollow out a nest for 

 themselves inside. On scraping the bottom of the tree with a stick, the squirrel 

 pops out its head like an owl. 



I have examined the types of P. inornatus, Is. Geoff., and do not find that 

 P. albiventer, Gray, differs from it in any respect. It is a half-grown example. 



Ptebomys caniceps. Gray. 



Scniropterus caniceps, Gray, Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist. vol. x. 1842, p. 262; Hand List Mamm. 



B. M. 1843, p. 135; Hodgson, Journ. As. Soc. Beng. vol. xiii. 1844, p. 67; Blyth, ihid. 



vol. xvi. 1847, p. 866; ibid. vol. xx. 1851, p. 165; ibid. vol. xxviii. 1859, p. 278; Cat. 



Mamm. As. Soc. Mus. 1863, p. 96 ; Jerdon, Mamm. Ind. 1867, p. 178. 

 Pleromys caniceps. Gray, Cat. Nepal Mamm. B. M. Hodg. Coll. 1846, ji. 21; Schinz, Syn. Mamm. 



1845, vol. ii. p. 57; Horsfield, Cat. Mamm. E. Ind. Co.'s Mns. 1851, p. 160; Proc. Zool. Soo. 



1856, p. 402. 

 5cJMrq;5fen«« «««««, Hodgson, Cal. Jom-n. Nat. Hist. 1844, vol. iv. p. 293; Journ. As. Soc. Beng. 



vol. xiii. 1844, p. 68, plate fig. 2 ; ihid. vol. xvi. 1847, p. 866. 



This species is closely allied to P. albiventer, — so much so, that at first I was 

 inclined to regard them as one species, and to consider the grey head of this form as 



' New Series, vol. i. p. 35. 



