SQUIRRELS belong to the genus Seiurus. The E. Indian species are—Malabarieus, maximus, Elphinstonei, macrouroides, macrourus, barbei, Europmus, laticaudatus, lokriodes, pal rnarutn, tristriatus, Layardi, sublineatus, M'Clel landi, ephippium. Sc. Layardi eats the coffee berries; it is common in Ceylon ; the pulp alone is digestible, and the coffee - beans are dropped on logs of wood and on the ground. Sc. Ten nentii is peculiar to Ceylon. Its dimensions are large, measuring upwards of two feet from head ta tail. It is distinguished from the Sc. macrourus by the predominant black colour of the upper surface of the body, with the exception of a rusty spot at the base of the ears.
Sciurus maximus is the Malabar squirrel. Its upper parts and external surface of the limbs are of a bright chocolate-brown colour. Length about 33 inches, of which the tail mea.sures rather more than one-half. This richly-coloured species is the largest of the true squirrels. It haunts among pahn trees, and is stated to be very fond of the milky juice of the cocoauut, as well as of the solid part of the nut. In captivity, it is tame and familiar ; but it tries its teeth upon most substances that come within its power, and should be guarded against accordingly.
&hums maerouroides, Hodgs., a gigantic squirrel, abounds throughout the Burmese countries and Malayan Peninsula, and northward to the ASBRIG IIills and those of Sikkim and Nepal. It has a pale variety in the Malay Peninsula.
Mums macrourus, Forster, the common large squirrel of the western districts of Ceylon, also ruet with in Travancore and other neighbouring districts of continental India, becomes extremely tame, chiefly perhaps remarkable for its singularly loud and harsh voice. Indeed, the voice would seem to be an excellent criterion of specificial distinction among the Sciuridm. This aniinal
carries its tail in the same peculiar manner curled round on one side, as is observable in gc. pur pureus and Sc. bicolor, and doubtless all others of the same group.
Sc. Elphinstonei is the red squirrel of the Western Ghat. They soon become very tame. The palm squirrel, also, Sc. palmarum, soon be comes very tame.
One group of the squirrels, of large size and rich colours, is peculiar to S.E. Asia as far as Borneo, some of them wherever there are large and lofty forests.
Flying squirrels are species of the genera. Pteromys and Sciuropterus— Pt. magnificus, Hodgson, S.E. Himalaya. Pt. inornatus, Is. Geoff., N.W. Himalaya. Pt. cineraceus, fikyth, Burma.
Pt. elegans, S. Muller, Java.
Pt. nitidus, Geoff., Pen. Malacca.
Pt. petaurista, Pallas, Pen. India,.
Pt. Philippensis Gray, Philippines. Sduropterus Hodgson, Nepal. Se. eanieeps, Gray, Nepal, Sikkim.
SC. fimbriatus, Gray, Himalaya.
Sc. fuscocapillus, Jerdon, Travancore. Sc. villosus, Myth., Sikkim, Bhutan. Sc. spadiceus, Blyth, Arakan.
Sc. Phayrei, Myth, Pegu.
Sc. genibarbis, Horsf., Malayana.
Sc. Horsfieldh, Waterhouse, Malayans.
• Sc. sagitta, L., Malayana.
With the flying squirrels, the skin of the flanks is extended between the fore and hind feet, forming, when expanded, a wide parachute. They have long, bony, or cartilaginous appendages to the feet, which serve to support the lateral mem brane. Pt. petaurista lives principally on fruits ; it and Pt. inoruatus have been seen take a flight of sixty yards.—Biylle; Jerdon ; Tennent. See Schuidre.