species that it is
considerably smaller than that of _S. maximus_, and has a narrower
and less concave inter-orbital space; the nasals are also broader
posteriorly, and less dilated anteriorly, the upper dental line
being also shorter.

SIZE.--Head and body, 20 inches; tail, 15-1/4 inches.

Jerdon's description of this animal is taken _verbatim_ from Sykes,
who named it after the Honourable Mountstuart Elphinstone, under the
impression that it was a new species, but it is apparently the same
as _S. Indicus_ of Erxleben and _S. Malabaricus_ of Schinz.

NO. 274. SCIURUS MAXIMUS.
_The Central Indian Red Squirrel_ (_Jerdon's No. 149_).

NATIVE NAMES.--_Kat-berral_, Bengali; _Karat_, Hindi; _Rasu_ and
_Ratuphar_ at Monghyr, according to Hamilton; _Kondeng_ of the
Coles; _Per-warsti_, Gondi; _Bet-udata_, Telegu; _Shekra_,
Mahrathi.

HABITAT.--Malabar coast, Central India, and, according to Dr.
F. B. Hamilton, the hills about Monghyr, whence doubtless the
Calcutta market is supplied. Hodgson records it from the Himalayan
Terai.

[Illustration: _Sciurus maximus_.]

DESCRIPTION.--"The upper surface and the sides of the neck, the
shoulders, and the outside of the fore-limbs, the lumbar and sacral
regions, the outside of the thighs and the tail are black, the black
of the hind-quarters being prolonged forwards along the mesial line
towards the black of the shoulders; a large dark maroon spot on the
vertex, separated from the maroon of the nape by yellowish
inter-aural area, which extends downwards and forwards to the
cheeks; a maroon-coloured line passes downward from the front of the
ear, with a yellow area behind it. The sides of the face and muzzle
are pale yellowish, the latter being flesh-coloured; the other
portions of the trunk and the lower half of the tibial portion of
the hind limbs are maroon. The tail is either black or maroon black,
sometimes tipped with yellowish brown. The whole of the under-parts
and inside of the limbs and the hands and feet are rich yellowish;
the ears strongly maroon and tufted" (_Dr. Anderson_). Jerdon's
description of this animal is very meagre and doubtful.

SIZE.--About the same as the last.

This squirrel was tolerably common in the forests of Seonee, and we
had one or two in confinement. One belonging to my brother-in-law
was so tame as to allow of any amount of bullying by his children,
who used to pull it about as though it were a puppy or kitten, but
I have known others