Three new races of Sciurus vittatus. F.N. Chasen and C.B. Kloss. Records of the Raffles Museum, No. 1
This brief note by F. N. Chasen and C. B. Kloss, published as Records of the Raffles Museum No. 1, describes three new subspecies of the red-bellied squirrel (Sciurus vittatus) from islands in the Malay Peninsula and the Rhio Archipelago (p. 57).
The authors first outline the distribution of the two major subspecies groups—miniatus (continental, with rufous tail-tips) and vittatus (island and southern forms, with annulated tail-tips)—before describing the three new races. S. v. lighti is from Penang Island and is distinguished from mainland miniatus by a less extensive rufous tail area and a dark lateral stripe that is shorter, less black, and grizzled with tawny (p. 58). S. v. stellaris is from Bintang Island, Rhio Archipelago, and is a peninsularis-group form with a notably darker, more blackened back (p. 58). S. v. lunaris is from Bulan Island, Rhio Archipelago, and differs from stellaris in having slightly less rufous underparts, greyer facial sides, a creamy (rather than buff) pale lateral stripe, and a paler tail (p. 58).