rather short; feet small; nails pointed, slender, and slightly curved; each
has a tuft of long and stiff hair which originate behind its base, and extends
forwards heyond its point, concealing its upper surface. Tail cylindrical
and tapered, everywhere densely covered with short rigid hair. Whiskers
long and feeble. The fur generally is rather long, soft, silky, dense, and
slightly recumbent, on the anterior parts of the head and on the extremities
towards the feet it is short and rather rigid.
T e e t h , &c .— Each of the incisors of the upper jaw has a superficial and
rather broad groove along its anterior surface, nearer to the outer than the
inner edge, the apex of the tooth is formed for cutting, and is slightly emar-
ginate. The first of the molars is the largest, the last the smallest. The
crown of the first consists of three transverse portions, which are connected
by two short longitudinal processes, each of which, like the transverse portions,
are margined with a narrow prominent rim of enamel: the second consists of
two transverse portions and a longitudinal connecting process, all edged like
the first: the third is undivided and completely edged with enamel. The
incisors of the lower jaw are sub-cylindrical, pointed, and without grooves;
the molars have their crown divided nearly in the same manner as those of
the upper jaw, and the first and second have the same number of divisions.
Length of skull 16J lines, breadth behind zygomatic arch 8 lines, breadth
between the greatest convexity of the zygomatic arch of one side and the other
9 lines.
DIMENSIONS.
Length from the point of the nose to
Inches. Lines.
Length of the fore-legs .......
Inches. Lines.
the tip of the tail................ 5 9 of the hind-legs ....... ....... 1 9
of the tail................................. 2 0 Height when standing........... ------ 2 6
. of the head............................ 1 5
The colours of the Female are generally paler than those of the male.
This animal, according to my experience, is confined to the interior o f South Africa and
specimens even in the districts in which it lives are procured with difficulty. I have myself
only met with it in the neighbourhood of Graham’s Town, and in the districts north of the
Orange river, but I have reason to believe it occurs here and there between these points. It
inhabits grassy flats, lives in burrows in the ground, and seeks its food during the night. It is
particularly active and bold during rainy weather, and if individuals be known to exist in any
particular locality, some of them at least may be readily procured at such times by placing a
lantern with a light in it upon the ground. They soon approach the light, and may, while
occupied in regarding it or passing to and fro, be easily disabled with a horse-whip, or such
like instrument.