lding purposes. The skins of this species nicely cured make
very pretty slippers. They are very easily tamed, and often fall
victims to their temerity, in venturing unknown into their owner's
pockets, boxes, boots, &c. One I have now is very fond of a mess of
parched rice and milk. It sleeps rolled up in a ball, not on its side,
but with its head bent down between its legs.

NO. 290. SCIURUS TRISTRIATUS.
_The Three-striped Ground-Squirrel_ (_Jerdon's No. 156_).

NATIVE NAMES.--As in the last. _Leyna_ in Singhalese.

HABITAT.--Ceylon and Southern India; on the Neilgherries. Has been
found in Midnapur, and it is stated to range northward to the
Himalayas.

DESCRIPTION.--Somewhat larger and darker than the last species,
manifesting considerable variation in the colour of the dark lines
of the back. In some the lines are rufous; in others dark brown or
blackish throughout, or black only from the shoulder to the lumbar
region. The general tints are rusty red on the head, greyish on the
shoulders, blackish in the middle of the back, rusty on the haunches.
Three well-defined yellow dorsal lines, not extending the whole
length of the back; the tail rusty beneath, darker than _S. palmarum_
on the sides.

SIZE.--Head and body, 7-1/2 inches; tail, 7-1/2 inches.

This squirrel is more shy than the last, and keeps to the woods,
although occasionally it will approach houses. Dr. Jerdon says a pair
frequented his house at Tellicherry, but they were less familiar than
_S. palmarum_, and endeavoured to shun observation. Kellaart gives
a careful description of it, but does not say anything about its
habits, at which I wonder, for it is common there, and takes the place
of our little Indian friend, though probably its more retiring
disposition has prevented so much notice being taken of it. Were it
in the habit of frequenting houses in the manner of its Indian cousin,
I am sure Sir Emerson Tennent would have devoted a page to it, whereas
he does not mention it at all. It had also escaped McMaster's notice,
careful observer though he was. Waterhouse, in his description
('Proc. Zool. Soc.' 1839, p. 118), describes some differences in the
skull of this and _S. palmarum_, but Dr. Anderson finds no difference
whatever.

NO. 291. SCIURUS LAYARDI.
_Layard's Striped Ground-Squirrel_ (_Jerdon's No. 157_).

HABITAT.--Ceylon; in the highlands and the mountains of Travancore
in Southern India.

DESCRIPTION.--Dark dingy olive, inclini