G E R B I L L U ,lL ■ A FE E ,
"; (MammalAPlate ’35)\ :C
GERBILLUS A F E R — G r ay.
Mammalia.—P late XXXV.
G. capita, (lorso, lateribus superne extremitatibusque extern^ versus corpus cinereo-isabellinis; capita, dorso,
lateribusque superne brunneo-peniciliatispartibus inferioribus artibusque iuteruA albis; oculia
brunneis; capite anticd attenuate ; vellere in capita rigido et breve, in corpora longiord et leevigato.
Longitudo ab apice nasi ad basin caudse 6| unc.; caudse 5 \ unc.
Gebbillus Ap e s , Gray, Spicilegia Zoologica, p. 10 ; 1828.
Meriones Schlegelli, Smuts, Dissert. Zoolog. enum. Mam. Capen. p. 41 ; 1836.
Gebbillus Afbicanus, F. Cuvier, Transactions of tbe Zoological Society, vol. ii., p. 143; 1836.
Colour, &c.—The ground colour of the head, the back, the upper portions
of the sides, and the outer surface of the extremities towards the body intermediate
between reddish orange and wood-brown, the head, back and
higher parts of sides pencilled with deep umber-brown ; the hairs towards their
roots dull lavender-purple; tail coloured like the back, only not so freely
pencilled. The lower parts of the sides, the belly, the chin, the throat, and
the inner surface of the limbs towards the body white; the line of demarcation
between the superior and inferior colours of the sides clearly defined. Tarsi
rusty white. Ears internally a light flesh colour, except towards the margin,
where there is a thin sprinkling of hair of a light umber-brown tin t;
externally they are thinly coated with hair of the same colour as that on the
back. Eyes deep brown; claws of hinder feet towards their points horn-
coloured, towards their base wood-brown, which is also the colour of the claws
of the fore feet. Incisor teeth of upper jaw white, of lower jaw pale reddish
orange.
F orm, &c.—Figure slightly robust, and moderately elongated; head rather
lengthened, broad posteriorly, attenuated anteriorly, the point of the nose
subacute. Eyes large ; ears long, patulous, and ovate ; whiskers long and
rather rigid ; fore legs short; hinder legs long, the claws of both, but more
especially of the fore ones, elongated, slightly curved, and moderately strong;
those of the fore feet are blunt, laterally compressed, and convex above;
those of the hinder feet vertically compressed and sharp pointed. The fur
covering the centre of the face and the forehead rather short and rigid, that
of the other parts of the head, the body, and the extremities above the tarsi,
long, soft, and recumbent; the hair of the tarsi, toes, and tail short, wiry and
so closely set, as to form a continuous covering.