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Show 578 ON CHINESE MAMMALS. [May 2, I once entered a hillside hollow, one side of which was a rocky precipice about 50 ft. high. On the ledges of this a score or two of Squirrels were collected, and many others were in some small firs in the centre of the hollow ; there appeared to be a large colony of them. 6. SCIURUS STYANI Thos. ? Macroxus chinensis, Gray, Ann. Mag. N. H. ser. 3, xx. 1867, p. 282. Macroxus griseopectus, Gray, loc. cit. (nee Blyth). Sciurus styani, Thomas, Ann. Mag. N. H. ser. 6, xiii. 1894, p. 363. I think there is little doubt that these names all refer to one species. Some years ago I pointed out to Mr. Thomas that these pale-yellow bellied Squirrels (S. griseopectus of Gray) were distinct from S. castaneoventns, to which species they were assigned in tbe Museum. Finding tbe former name was preoccupied, Mr. Thomas renamed the species after m e ; but an examination of the old faded types of Gray's S. chinensis leads m e to think that this form had no need of a new name. The skulls, however, have not been removed from the types of this latter form, so there is just a possibility that there are two species, for one of which we do not know the locality. Its range appears to be the Yangtse valley from Kiu Kiang (Kiangsi) downwards (possibly found higher up the valley, but I have not met with it), spreading over the delta, where it is very common on the flat country between Sbaughai and Hangchovv. It is mostly confined to the plains, but is found occasionally on the low foot-hills. 7. SCIURUS SWINHOEI M.-Edw. S. macclellandii var. swinhoei, M.-Edw. Eech. M a m m . p. 308 (lb68). N.W. Sechuen, Chinteh, Chekiang, Fokien. It will be noticed that this species ranges from the extreme west of China to the coast, and is found at altitudes ranging from 500 ft. to 5000 ft. and probably much higher. A series of about 50 skins has not enabled me to find any constant characteristics by which subspecies can be clearly separated. I have not come across the far brighter aud handsomely striped S. rodolphi (so labelled in the British Museum) in the districts in which my collections have been made. EXPLANATION OE THE PLATES. PLATE XXXI. Hhhiopitheeus roxelfaiue (male), p. 572. PLATE XXXII. Lepus sechuenensis, p. 576. |
