>776- January. is the mus Capenfis of Meffrs. P e n n a n t , S c h r e b e r , andPAL- l a s , and the long-toothed marmot of Mr. B r o w n , page 1 12 , Plate XLVI. which plate exhibits a coloured repre- fentation of this animal ; but the figure, which is the fame with that in the compilation we have frequently referred to, as well as with that in B u f f o n ’ s Supplement, Tom. III. is not remarkably good. The other fpecies, which is called the zand-mol, is the mus Africanus of Mr. P e n n a n t . This is in every part fhaped like the former, but is without any fpots; and though of a moufe colour, is of a lighter hue, its tail being in proportion equally fhort with that of the other, but flat- tended both at top and underneath, though furnilhed with hairs ftanding out in the fame manner. It bears a great refemblance to the figure of the mus talpinus in P a l l a s and S c h r e b e r , but differs from that animal in having a compreffed tail, as I have juft before mentioned; as likewife with refpeck to its body, which 1 have found to meafure a foot at the higheft, though even then it was twice or thrice as big as the mus Capenfis, or the mus talpinus. Thefe two different fpecies, the mus Caffer and the mus Capenfis, are very troublefome vermin, particularly in orchards and vineyards; and are caught with fn ares, which fall upon them at the apertures o f their holes, and are likewife frequently killed with piftols, which fhoot them through the body, on their touching in the flighted: manner a thread tied to the trigger. The mus Caffer is particularly unwieldy and clumfy in its make, and is confequently flow in running, making its ef- cape with difficulty when it is found near its neft; though, on the other hand, when it is laid hold on, it throws the anterior anterior part o f its body about to the right and left with great activity and alertnefs, in order to faften upon its enemy with its teeth. In this particular I have, as well as many o f the colonifts, difcovered a great refemblance between the rhinoceros and the fand-mole, which, indeed, proceeds merely from the fmallnefs of the eyes and obfcurity of vifion in both thefe animals. The talpa AJiatica, L i n n , the talpa Siberica o f P e n n a n t , S e b a , and K l e i n ; the talpa aurea of B r i s s o n , P a l l a s , and S c h r e b e r ; and the variable mole of B r o w n , are one and the fame animal, which comes from the Cape; and which not only has been erroneoufly attributed to Siberia, but likewife, on account o f the number and ffiape of its teeth being unknown, has been lutherto improperly referred to the mole genus; though, in fack, it belongs to that of the Jhrew or forex, as plainly appears from the following defcription of the teeth, which I made after a fpecimen I brought home from the Cape preferved in ipi- rits. Denies fuperlores anteriores 2 cuneati, approximate, D. inferiores anteriores 4 fubulati, horum intermediis. bre- vioribus. D. laterales in utraque maxilla utrinque 7, horum duobus feu 3; bus prioribus iimpliciufculis, acutis, interioribus feu pofter. 1 feu 3 > bus furcatis, culpide ex- timo majore. This animal may therefore for the future be called Sorex aureus, cauda nulla, rojlro nudo brevi, palmis fub 4 daElylis, plantis 5 daBylis. I fay fub-tetra-da&ylis, as this creature has, on the outfide of its three crooked claws which ftand behind each other, a very fmall ipur, or fhorter kind o f claw projecking, which the naturalifts above- mentioned did not obferve, and which might eafily induce them
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