GENERIC CHARACTERS. 



Molar teeth. £5, rooted : skull, without post-orbital process ; ant-orbital opening, large ; 

 palate, contracted between the anterior molar teeth : tail, long and bushy, excepting at the base ; 

 the basal third armed beneath with a double series of large scales, having each an angular projec- 

 tion: ears, large, nearly naked: flank membrane, extended from limb to limb as in the Flying 

 Squirrels (Pteromys) : tip of muzzle, naked : feet, naked, beneath : fore-feet, with four sub-equal 

 claws : hind-feet, with five toes ; the inner toe, short : all the toes provided with long, curved, and 

 compressed claws. 



Fraser's Anomalurus. 



Anomalurus Fraseri, Waterhouse, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1842, p. 124 (September); Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist. 1842, p. 201 (November). 

 Arothrceus Fraseri, Waterhouse, ibid. 



Pteromys Derbianus, Gray, Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist. 1842, p. 262 (December). 



The Anomalurus presents, in the structure of its skull, some points of resemblance both to 

 the Sciuridce and Myoxidce ; from either, however, it is distinguished by the large size of the ant- 

 orbital opening, and from the former family by the absence of post-orbital process to the frontal 

 bone. In having the tibia and fibula distinct, it differs from all the Muridce (including Myoxus), 

 where these bones are anchylosed at their distal extremity. 



The following extract is from Mr. Waterhouse's notes : — 



"Upon a cursory inspection this animal would be regarded as a species of Pteromys, having most of the 

 general external characters of the members of that group; there are, however, some points of distinction 

 between the present animal and the large flying squirrels, which are important; of these the most conspicuous 

 are the extraordinary scales which cover the under side of the basal third of the tail : these scales are of a pale 

 horn-colour, sixteen in number in one of two specimens before me, and fifteen in the other, and arranged in 

 two longitudinal series : each scale is narrow at the base and broad at the opposite extremity, and in fact nearly 

 of a triangular form; but as the scales on one side alternate with those of the other, no interstices are left; 

 they not only cover the under surface of the tail, but overlap the sides ; in this overlapping of the scale a ridge 



