1841.] Asiatic Society. 919 



trees, living in the jungles, where it is very seldom observed."* The crania before me 

 are by no means remarkable for solidity, and indeed that of the specimen referred to is 

 fractured, doubtless from the blows mentioned; and it may be remarked that the 

 tail of this creature has no naked space at its extremity, wherein it resembles those 

 of the American Sajous {Cehus, GeofFroyj. In the other genera of true Plantigrada^ 

 except the Bears which have scarcely any tail, this appendage is equally bushy through- 

 out its length, and is always ringed with two shades of colour. Several of these animals 

 have retractile claws, more or less so ; as instanced in the Panda and Binturong, and 

 in the Bassary. The last named elegant species has been erroneously approximated 

 to ParodaxuruSy among the Viverrides, which family has no American representa- 

 tive. The Zoological Society possessed a living specimen at the time I left London, 

 and as this genus is but very little known to most naturalists at present, I may be 

 permitted to mention that it does resemble Paradoxurus not a little in external 

 aspect, having the same elongated body, enabling it to spring from bough to bough 

 with extreme lightness and agility, ruddered by its very bushy and squii'rel-like tail. 

 Its head resembles that of the Kinkajou, with the same Marten-like ears, and long 

 extensible tongue, which latter is indeed common to the whole group, all of which 

 are great devourers of honey and other sweets : but the Bassary would appear to be 

 also highly predatory, and probably a good deal resembles the Martens in its habits. 

 Its talons are very sharp and retractile ; and the fur short and Lemur-like, as in the 

 Kinkajou: colour greyish with a barred tail. What specimens have been obtained 

 have all been brought from Mexico. Such is a slight survey of the group to which 

 the Binturong belongs, and to which certain fossils are likewise referrible, as that 

 figured in PI. 150, figs. 2, 3, and 4, of the Ossemens Fossiles of Baron Cuvier. ' 

 The Ictide Doree of Mons, F. Cuvier is a veritable Paradoxurus. 



3. Pteromys petaurista, Auct:— being the first well authenticated example of this 

 large dark species which I have seen from the eastward of the Bay of Bengal. It 

 may, therefore, rather than Pt. nitidus, be the great Tenasserim species mentioned 

 by the late Dr. Heifer; but it is probable that both inhabit the same forests. The 

 Pt. Oral of Lieut. Tickell, elaborately described in the Calcutta Journal of Natural 

 History, No. 7, p. 401, would appear to be no other than Pt. petaurista. 



4. Sciurus hicolor, Sparrman. — A very fine specimen. Of this animal, which 

 Dr. McClelland procured examples of in Assam, we are informed by Dr. Horsfield 

 (in Proc. Zool. SoCi for 1839, p. 151), that " individuals agreeing in all particu- 

 lars with the Assamese specimens have been observed in other parts of India by 

 Dr. Francis (Buchanan) Hamilton and by Dr. Finlayson. The latter forwarded 

 several specimens to the Museum at the India House. The specific character origi- 

 nally constructed by Sparrman, and subsequently adopted by all systematic wri- 

 ters, defines accurately the animal as described by Dr. Hamilton and by Dr. 

 McClelland. Schreber's figure also agrees with the same ; while the animal from 

 Java (represented in Horsfield's Zool. lies., and indicated as a variety in Fischer's 

 Synopsis Mammalium,) appears to differ from the continental specimens by the vari- 

 ations to which it is subject. It remains, therefore, for further research and observation 

 to determine whether these two varieties may not be specifically distinct, and whether 



* Captain McLeod, in Calcutta Journal of Natural History, No. 7, p. 458, from information 

 supplied by the Rev, Mr. Barb. 



