1847.] Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. 



Sec, at least as far as the Straits of Malacca : also, in Nepal, the allied S.c. 

 lokriah and Sc. lokroides, of the size of Sc. vulgaris ; which a little further 

 east (as in Sikiin) would be represented, according to Mr. Gray, respectively 

 by Sc. subflaviventris and Sc. assamensis of McClelland — though the latter 

 certainly accord with the descriptions of Sc. lokriah and Sc. lokroides, and 

 I cannot but very strongly suspect them to be the same. Both these Sikim 

 species continue their range to the Assamese mountains, and with them a 

 diminutive striped Squirrel — Sc. McClellandii, which probably inhabits a 

 greater elevation.* 



In Bootan, besides the last four, there should be, according to Mr. Gray, 

 Sc. erythrceus (vai\, with " top of the head bright rufous"), Sc. caniceps,f and 

 Sc. atrodorsalis ; but it is not improbable that the localities of the two latter 

 are given erroneous!} 7 , — the last seeming to be my Tenasserim species (No. 12), 

 referred to the same with a mark of doubt. 



Upon the hill ranges of Assam, the same species occur as in Bootan — at 

 least the four that range thence from Sikim : while Sc. rufiventer (1 with 

 black tail) abounds to the northward, and in the hills surrounding the valley 

 of Munneepore ; the very doubtfully distinct Sc. erythrceus (with rufous tail) 

 representing it southward, and about Cherra Poonjee (north of Sylhet). 



In Sylhet, Tipperah, and Arracan, Sc. lokroides ( ? v. assamensis) conti- 

 nues very abundant ; and probably also Sc. lokriah ( ? v. subflaviventris) at 

 a greater elevation, as certainly in Arracan : and in the last named province 

 the entirely red Sc. Keraudrenii abundantly replaces Sc. erythrceus of Lower 

 Assam and Cherra Poonjee, and has the same claim with Sc. rufiventer ( ?) 

 to be considered a mere variety of Sc. erythrceus. In Pegu, there is again 

 the Sc. pygerythrus, Is. Geoff"., additional to Keraudrenii (though probably 

 not in the same localities), which also would seem to exhibit but another 

 variation of the same specific ( ?) type. Sc. bicolor, Sc. Keraudrenii, Sc. 

 lokriah ( ?), and Sc. lokroides ( ?), are the only true Squirrels which I know 

 to inhabit Arracan. 



Proceeding further south, in the Tenasserim provinces we only recognise 

 the large Sc. bicolor, among the preceding species : and there is a diminu- 

 tive striped Squirrel, Sc. Barbel, w r hich is nearly allied to Sc. McClellandii of 

 Sikim, Bootan, and N. Assam. The only others I know are Sc. chrysonotus, 

 which seems to be very common, and may be said to represent Sc. lokroides 

 ( ?) of Arracan, &c, — and Sc. atrodorsalis ( ?), of which I have seen only a 

 single specimen : but I doubt not that others inhabit the provinces ; and we 

 might specially look for a representative of the erythrceus type — perhaps Sc. 

 pyyerythrus, Is. Geoffroy. 



In the Malayan peninsula, there appears again to be a complete change 

 in the Sciuridce, excepting only the great Sc. bicolor, which continues iden- 

 tically the same ; though exhibiting here a remarkable pale variety, in addi- 

 tion to the ordinary dark race. The erythrceus group, however, finds its 

 representative in Sc. hippurus : and another group with conspicuous stripes 

 on the flanks, very characteristic of the Malay countries, is exemplified by 

 Sc. vittatus and Sc. nigrooittatus. The beautiful Sc. Raffiesii is common 

 southward : and there is also the very curious Tupaia-like Sc. laticaudatus 

 (vide XV, 251). Dr. Cantor adds Sc. tenuis, Horsfield, which I have seen 

 only from Java ; and it is very probable that Sc. insignis of Sumatra and 

 .lava inhabits the mountains : -Sc. plantani should be likewise sought for. 

 The habitat " India," attached by Mr. Gray to this last named species, as 



' Sc. lokriah, Sc. lokroides, and Sc. McClellandii, are erroneously assigned by Pfof. 

 Sciiinz to Bengal. 



t " Pale grey, grizzled : back yellowish ; beneath, paler grey : tail long,, grey, black- 

 varied, ringed j hair with three broad black bands." Ann. Mag. N. //. 1842, p. 263. 



;> x 2 



