MACROSCELIDES TYPICUS.—S m it h .
M ammalia..— P la t e X.
M. capite, dorso, lateribusque pallide flavo-brunneis, dorso parce brunneo-rubro- peniciUato; subtus albus
flavo-tinctus; auribus l'atis. rotundatis, aaticfe pilis albis vestitis; lined rubro-brunned supra basin
proboscidis, versus frontem prolongatd.
Longitudo corporis 5 u n c .; caudse 4^ unc.
Macroscelides typicus, Smith, Zoological Journal, Vol. IV., 1829.*
C o lo u r .—The prevailing surface-colour of the fur of the head,; back and
sides is intermediate between light yellowish brown and wood-brown ; the
colour of the back being slightly broken by an intermixture of some reddish
brown hairs. The under parts are white with here and there a faint tinge of
yellow ; the legs are rusty white ; the toes clear white ; the upper surface of
the tail is greyish brown, the lower surface yellowish brown except towards
the tip, where both the one and the other are reddish black ; the fur coating
the inner surface of the ears and a pencil of long hairs in front of meatus
auditorius pure white, the fur on the outer or hinder surface is of the same
colour as the back ; proboscis rusty brown, with a more or less distinct reddish
brown stripe above at its base, which occasionally extends along the middle
of the face towards the forehead. Immediately below the surface the fur is
a dark slate colour, and the surface-tints are modified according to the distinctness
with which that tint is seen. The., latter also vary with age and
season, &c.; thus in some specimens we find the prevailing colour to be
mouse-grey.
F orm, & c.—Figure squat; head behind eyes broad and bulky, before eyes
slender, subcylindrical and terminated by a delicate cylindrical and flexible
snout or proboscis, the diameter of which is nearly everywhere equal; nostrils
small, circular, situated at the point of the proboscis and separated from each
other by a narrow vertical groove ; eyes large and prominent, nearly mid-way
between the base of proboscis and ears. Ears rather short, broad and
patulous, the circumference almost semicircular ; with a faint rudimentary
emargination below the most prominent point of the semicircle ; a tuft of long
hair immediately in front of meatus auditorius. Anterior extremities rather
* Professor Lichtenstein has invented a new title for this genus; hut as that was proposed long after
mine was generally adopted throughout Europe, his of course cannot be admitted. Surely such a mode
of proceeding ought to be discountenanced in every country.