246 Catalogue of Mammalia inhabiting [No. 172. 



Felis domestica, Auct. 

 •' Ktiching" of the Malays. 

 The Malays, like most Muhamedans, are as partial to cats as they are 

 the reverse to dogs. As observed by Sir S. Raffles, some of the Ma- 

 layan, like the Madagascar domesticated cats, have a short twisted or 

 knobbed tail, others are tailless. Among those of an uniform colour, a 

 light ashy and a bluish (or slaty-grey) variety, with single longer black 

 hairs on the back and tail, are conspicuous. They frequently relapse 

 from a state of domestication, resort to the jungle, and shun the pre- 

 sence of man. 



RODENTIA. 



Sciurid,e, 



Gen. — Sciurus, Linne. 



Sciurus bicolor, Sparrmann. 

 Syn. — Das javanische Eichhorn, Schreb.* apud Horsf. 



Sciurus giganteus, McClelland MSS. 1 Apud Horsfield, Proc. 

 Sciurus bicolor, Sparrmann, / Zool. Soc. 



Sciurus madagascariensis, 

 Sciurus macruroides, Hodgson, 



" Chingkrawah etam" of the Malays of the Peninsula. 

 Hab. — Pinang, Malayan Peninsula. 



Java, Sumatra, Borneo, Siam, Tenasserim, Assam, Nipal. 

 The original diagnosis will prevent misunderstanding as to the species 

 under consideration. " Sciurus supra niger, infra fulvus, auriculis 

 acutis imberbibus, palmarum ungue pollicari magno rotundato." (Sparr- 

 mann, apud Horsfield.) The colour of the head, back, tail, outside of 

 the extremities, and the feet, is intense shining black, the single hairs 

 being blackish-grey at the root, those of the tail blackish- brown at the 

 root. In some individuals the black hairs generally, in others those of 

 the tail, or some part of the back only, have a broad subterminal band 

 of bright cinnamon, or Indian red, which imparts a reddish tint to the 

 general black colour. The mustachios, whiskers and the superciliary 

 bristles are black ; those of the throat and forearm are black in some, 



* Sciurus javensis, Schreber, and bicolor, Sparmann, apud Gray : List, is Sciurus 

 Lesckenaultii, Desmar. apud Horsfield, Syn. S. hypoleucus, Horsfield. 



> Apud Gray : List. 



