1851.] species of Birds inhabiting Ceylon. 165 



Rodentia. Sciurid^e. Of this family, Dr. Kelaart sends two 

 species of Flying Squirrels. One is Pteromys oral, Tickell, found 

 throughout the peninsula of India. The other is a magnificent Sciu- 

 ropterus, which possibly may be a fine adult of the species described 

 as Sc. fuscocapillus, Jerdon, nobis, J. A. S. XVI, 867, from a 

 younger and comparatively inferior specimen. We incline, however, 

 to the opinion that it is distinct ; and Dr. Kelaart terms it 



Sciuropterus Layardi, Kelaart. Nearly affined to Sc. caniceps, 

 Gray, of the S. E. Himalaya, from which it differs in having the fur of 

 its under-parts of a dull non-fulvescent white, the parachute membrane 

 being margined with pure white fur, lengthened and conspicuous at 

 the angle. Face grey, except the forehead which is rufous-brown, 

 like the rest of the upper-parts. A dusky spot on the nose. Whis- 

 kers long and black ; and there is a tuft of long soft hairs below the 

 ears, and a smaller tuft before them. The ear-conch is f in. long 

 posteriorly, ovate and somewhat narrow. Fur very dense, the basal 

 three-fourths of the piles dusky, sinuous, and fine in texture ; the tips 

 coarser, and shining dull rufous-brown, forming the surface-colour. 

 Tail flat and broad, above nigrescent, and below deeper blackish except 

 at tip. Feet greyish, with a faint rufous tinge on the hind only. 

 Length about 2 ft., of which the tail with hair measures half: hind-foot, 

 from heel to tip of claws, 2J in. : fore-foot, to membrane, ljin. Hab. 

 Mountains of Ceylon (Dimboola). 



The Sciuri of Ceylon are treated of in J. A. S. XVIII, 600 et seq., 

 where five species are enumerated, to which Dr. Kelaart has now added 

 Sc. trilineatus, Waterhouse (v. Delesserti, Is. Geoffroy), identical 

 with the race of the Nilgiris and Malabar. He has also favored the 

 Society with a fine example of Sc. Tennentii, Layard, loc. cit. t 

 perfectly similar to that sent by Mr. Layard ; and with a young specimen 

 of Sc. macrourus, remarkable for having the terminal three-fourths 

 of its tail unmixed white or slightly yellowish white. " The Sc 

 macrourus," he remarks, " I have seen of various colours ; some 

 black : and I am inclined to think the Sc. Tennentii only a large 

 variety of it. Sc. macrourus even changes colour from brown to 

 black." Mr. Layard, however, insists that " Sc. macrourus, the 

 common large Squirrel of our western coast, never intrudes on the 

 haunts of Sc. Tennentii, nor is intermingled with it in its own loca- 



