MACROSCE.LTDES RTJPEST'RIS-.
.(Meanmalia, _-PIateIL^
MACROSCELIDES RUPESTRIS.—S m it h .
M amma lia . S P l a t e II.
M. capita, dorso, Iateribusque palKdd fulvus, nigro-penmillatis ; infra albus, ochreo-Unctus ; candd flavo-
brunnea nigro-penicillatd; craribus fnlvo-albis ; labio superiore, circuloque oculano albis; nucha,
maculaque post antes vivide fulvis; proboacido fulvo-albo, supra lined longitudmalo mgra versus
basin; oculis subnigris.
Longitudo corporis cum capite, 6 unc.; caudas 4^ ad 5 unc.
Macroscelides bupestkis, Smith.—Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London for 1830 ; p. II.
C o lo u r .— The surface-colour of the upper and lateral parts of the head
and of the back and sides of the body intermediate between wood-brown and
sienna-yellow,—the tint darkest on the head, brightest on the back, and
palest on the sides, and on all, more or less distinctly brindled or broken by
the presence of fine black hairs, which are freely intermixed with the fur. The
upper lip, a ring round the eyes, the lower part of the sides and the whole of
the under parts of the body white, faintly tinted with ochry yellow. Legs and
feet tawny white. Tail yellowish brown, darkest above, and pencilled with
black, particularly towards the point. The nape of the neck and the fur
immediately behind the base of the ears bright rufous-yellow; the fur
coating the inner surface of the ears, and the long tuft which guards the
meatus auditorius white ; on the outer surface it is partly yellowish brown and
partly dusky white. Proboscis rusty white, with a longitudinal black-brown
stripe above towards the base; whiskers black, some of the bristles white at
the base ; eyes almost black ; nails a dark horn-colour.
F orm, &c.—Figure rather robust, yet better proportioned than that of M.
Typicus. Head behind the eyes broad and flat; proboscis considerably
thicker at its base than at its apex ; eyes large and situated nearer to the
ears than to the base of the proboscis ; ears erect, rather long and of a somewhat
oval shape, their inner surface tolerably coated with short fur, their outer
surface almost bare. Tail cylindrical, much thicker at the base than the
apex, and closely covered with coarse hair which, except at the apex, is very
short; inner toe of hinder extremities but little removed from the other toes.