60 
A RARE SQUIRREL FROM KUALA LUMPUR. 
RHINOSCIURUS LATICAUDATUS—THE LONG-NOSED SQUIRREL. 
А MONG some mammals recently collected оп Weld's Hill, within 
r 
о v 
ion, however, it proves to ‘be the above-named species, about which 
considerable obscurity exists, owing to its rarity and retiring habits. 
First discovered in Southern Borneo and described by the Dutch. 
naturalists Miller and Schlegel, in the first half of the last century, it 
was subsequently тте in the Malay Peninsula by Dr. Cantor, who 
mentions having obtain ve specimens, though he omits to state the 
locality, which was probably either Province Welles <i or meet 
с records from the сеа ате few aid far between ; а ВЕЕ m 
Pahang, and is now preserved in the Raffles Museum, Singapore. 
present individual eompletes the list of recorded specimens, the ones 
mentioned by Mr. Stanley Flower (P.Z.S. 1900, p. 359) as in this 
Museum being merely the pale form of Ratufa bicolor. 
The species can be readily distinguished from all others inhabiting 
the Peninsula, except Funambulus insignis, by its short tail, which is 
less than two thirds the length of the head and body. The last 
mentioned ie mg however, can be separated at a gie by its very 
much less elongated m шде and by possessing а ark vertebral and 
two lateral stripes, which are completely absent in ЖМ онин» 
laticaudatus, which, in addition, has a much bushier tail. In habits 
h species are very similar, being ground forms, rarely found on 
trees but the long-nosed squirrel appears to be more nocturnal in its 
habits, which accounts for its comparative ^- у. 
SELANGOR STATE Museum, H. C. ROBINSON. 
Kuara Lumpur, 17th March, 1905. 
A SAKAI COUNTING-STICK OR TALLY.* 
"|^ HE object forming m subject of this note was secured some two 
years ago from akais of Sungei Ujong--i.e., from a member 
of the wild Бъ inhabiting the hills in the north-west corner of 
Negri Sembilan, which form the boundary there between that State 
and Selangor, and are known as the Balau Hills. It is a four-sided, 
carefully cut stick, though considerably out of the straight, two feet 
long; and on one side is a series of si xty n ое and on the o opposite 
side a series of nine. But to explain 7 д of these it is 
necessary to go into a brief history of the aede ө the stick. 
ies т used in England by the Exchequer as late as the year 1782, 
and in the reign of William IV. the old tallies were аны to be destroyed 
The — à f the Hou arliament in 1834 was caused by the stoves 
ses of P. 
— being ov + etol 8 Goole sticks. They were used privately much later. 
I can re d. жый seeing a tally hanging up near the kitchen door 
