292 EODENTIA. 



The probability, therefore, is that this latter skull frora Sumatra is a female, and the 

 former a male, because the first of these is identical with the skull of P. grandis, 

 which is known beyond all doubt to belong to the female sex. Swinhoe observes 

 that the young is darker than the adult, with more black, especially about the head, 

 feet, and tail. The latter, as in all young Fteromys, has the hairs laterally adpressed 

 and parted down the mesial Hne, above and below. The pupil, the same observer 

 states, to be round and not linear, and the animal is nocturnal in its habits. 



Its voice is in marked contrast to that of P. oral, its soft whistle being 

 heard at the approach of twilight. 



The length of the sucking young is, body 6-75 inches, and tail 6-20 : the 

 adult animal is 2 feet long, and its tail is the same length. 



Pennant describes the colour of the head, body, and tail to be bright bay, in 

 some parts inclining to orange; breast and belly of a yellowish- white ; the tail 

 beiag covered with long hairs disposed horizontally. Length from muzzle to tail 

 18 inches, tail 15 inches. He states that it inhabits Java. 



This species would therefore appear to have a wide range, being distributed 

 over the Malayan peninsula, Sumatra, Java, Eormosa, and Borneo. 



In the Leyden Museum there is a large flying squnrel from Borneo, which 

 appears to be a variety of tliis species. It is intermediate in its characters between 

 P. nitidus and P. melcmotis, but unlike the latter, to the colour of which it has a 

 general resemblance, it has no black points. 



The upper parts are rich ferruginous brown, finely grizzled with white on the 

 back, from the shoulders downwards, but not on the parachute. . The cheeks and feet 

 are concolorous with the back, but the tail is darker, passing into a dark reddish- 

 brown. The under parts are pale white, more or less washed with reddish. The 

 cheek-bristles are well developed, and the tail is not bushy. The specimen is a 

 female, and the body measm'es 14*40, and the tail 15 inches. 



Pteeomts melanotis, Gray. 



Pteromys melanotis, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1836, p. 88; Charlesworth's Mag. Nat. Hist, (new series), 

 vol. i. 1837, p. 584; Hand-List Manun. B. M. 1843, p. 134i; Horsfield, Cat. Mamm. E. Ind. 

 Co.'s Mus. 1851, p. 162.; Blyth, Journ. As. Soe. Beng. vol. sxviii, 1859, p. 277. 



Tteronujs nitidus, Gray, Gray and Hardw. 111. Ind. Zool. vol. ii. 1834, pi. xvii. ; Cantor, Journ. As. 

 Soc. Beng. vol. xv. 1846, p. 252. 



Tieromys melanopis, Motley and Dillwyn, Contrib. Nat. Hist. Labuan and Borneo, 1855, p. 2. 



This is a large flying squirrel with a relatively smaller head than P. oral and 

 its Himalayan allies, P. magnijicus, P. albiventer, and P. caniceps. 



All the upper surface of the trunk is bright rich reddish-bay, paling to 

 yellowish on the tail, but especially brilKant behind the ears, which are sharply 

 pomted, and then posterior margins below the tip are concave. On the head the 



1 Dr. Gray mentions P. diardii, Temm., as a synonym of this species, bnt I have sought in vain for any other 

 reference to such a name. 



