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Show 352 MR. STANLEY S. FLOWER ON THE [Apr. 3, It is not strictly nocturnal, for it is frequently seen abroad during the day. It is particularly fond of the Durian, the fruit of Durio zibethinus. The Flying-Squirrel has this partiality in common with various other animals, as monkeys, Pteropi and Paradoxuri; nay, the Malays assert, that they have to watch this, theii favourite fruit, against tigers." Horsfield (Cat. M a m m . Mus. East India Co. 1851, p. 162) records a specimen, under the name of Pteromys melanotis, from Siam, collected by Dr. G. Finlayson; W . L. Sclater (Cat. M a m m . Indian Mus. part ii. 1891, p. 37) also mentions this specimen, and others from Malacca procured by the Rev. F. Lindstedt in 1845. O. Thomas (P. Z. S. 1886, p. 73) records three specimens collected by Davison, from Klang (Salangor), Malacca, and Gunang Pulai (Johore) respectively, aud says " these specimens all belong to the so-called species Pt. melanotis." H. J. Kelsall (J. S. B. R. A. S. no. 26, Jan. 1894), in a list of Mammals from Johore, says presumably of this species:-"Pteromys oral, Tick. Red Flying-Squirrel. One specimen obtained at Simpai, on the Batu Pahat Sembrong." Ridley (Nat. Science, vol. vi. 1895, p. 95) says:-" The red Flying-Squirrel, Pteromys nitidus, is still common in Singapore, inhabiting the thicker jungles. It remains quite quiet during the day, but at dusk begins to move about. It climbs with some clumsiness to a high point on a tree, and then dives off to the next, up which it climbs again, and again dives off, and so travels to its feeding ground. It appears to be very fond of coconuts, and will attack any that are near the jungles which it inhabits." Hanitsch (Rep*. Raffles Libr. & Mus. 1897, p. 10) records "Pteromys petaurista ( = oral)" from Selangor, and "Pteromys nitidus " from Singapore. In the Museum at Taiping I saw, in M a y 1898, six large Flying- Squirrels stuffed; two of these are very dark; Mr. Wray has labelled them P. nitidus, Malay name " Kubin," they are from Larut. The remaining specimens are very red ; two are from Tapah, Batang Padang, and one from Larut: they are labelled P. petaurista, " The Taguan," Malay name " Grabah." In the Museum at Kuala Lampor I saw, in June 1898, two stuffed specimens of T. petaurista, both obtained in Selangor; and Mr. A. L. Butler told me there was also a black Pteromys found in that neighbourhood, which he considered to be possibly a race of P. oral. I have only once seen a Pteromys wild ; it was apparently of this species, on Penang Hill, about 1800 feet elevation, on the 11th March, 1899. Just after sunset it passed near me, swooping down hill over the trees (which at this point were not high) ; we had a good view of it for about 100 yards, when it passed out of sight downhill; its parachute was kept quite steady, and its tail stiff straight out behind. Distribution. Siam, Formosa, Malay Peninsula (apparently generally distributed), Sumatra, Java, Borneo. |