Journal of the Federated Malay States museums - Sabrizain.org

XVII. ON TWO RODENTS NEW TO THE FAUNA
OF THE MALAY PENINSULA, WITH THE
DESCRIPTION OF A NEW SUB-SPECIES,
PITHECHEIRUS MELANURUS PARVUS
By C. BoDEN Kloss, F.Z.S.
In August 1915 I spent a fortnight on Bukit
Selangor, 3,485 ft., for the purpose of collecting insects.
Kutu,
A few
vertebrates were also obtained and preserved and
them were two mammals which have not hitherto
amongst
been re-
corded from the Malay Peninsula : one
being a species of
small flying squirrel known hitherto from Billiton Island only
and the other a form of the " red bush rat " only known
until now from Java and Sumatra.
PITHECHEIRUS.
This genus has hitherto been represented by a single
species, Pithecheirus melanurns Cuv., occurring in Java and, it
is supposed, in Sumatra also, though no critical comparison
between the animals of these two islands has been made.
It is a genus remarkable among the rodents of the
Malayan sub-region for its long soft pelage which extends for
some distance along the base of the tail, the remainder of that
organ being practically hairless; and for the peculiar molar
teeth. A full account, with illustrations, of P. melanurus is
given by Dr. Jentinck in " Notes from the Leyden Museum,"
Vol. xii (iSgtj), p. 222; pi. 9, figs 1-4, and vol. xiv (1892),
p. 122; pi. 3/4, figs 5-8.
In colour the Selangor animal apparently differs from
Javanese specimens which are " chestnut tinged with red ";
for the whole of the upper pelage, long, dense and very soft, is
tawny throughout, but less rich in tone on the sides of the
head and body and on the limbs. This colour occupies the
tips of the hairs only, the whole of the bases and median
portions being slate-coloured. There are a great many
longer hairs which project beyond the denser fur but they are
of the same colour and equally as soft as the latter.
The undersurface is clear white throughout with the exception
of the fur on the base of the tail which is similar to that of
the upper parts; and the chin, sides of the abdomen and lower
parts of the hind-legs which are suffused with warm buff.
The ears are whitish at the base with pale brown tips and
are clad with short tawny hairs on both sides. The feet are
February, 1916. 7