Descriptive Lint of the Rodents of South Africa. 231 



the characters of the skull and teeth bear out the contention of 

 Mr. Thomas. 



PEDETES CAFFEB, THE SPRING-HAAS. 



Mas caffer, PALLAS, Glires, p. 87 (1778). 



Yerbua capensis, FORSTER, k. Vet. Akad. Handl. Stockholm, 

 p. 108, pi. iii. (1778). 



Hclamys capensis, F. CUVIER, Hist. Nat. Mam., livr. 59 (1829) ; 

 LAYARD, Cat. Mamm. S. Afr. Mus., p. 55 (1862). 



Pedetes caffer, A. SMITH, Descr. Cat. S. Afr. Mus., p. 26 (1826) ; 

 SMUTS, Enum. Mam. Cap., p. 47 (1832). 



Pedetes typicus, A. SMITH, S. Afr. Quart. Journ., ii., p. 169 

 (1834). 



Description. General colour tawny brown, becoming paler on 

 the sides and almost pure white below, including a vertical stripe 

 in front of the thighs ; fur long, straight, dark brown, with a slaty 

 tinge basally, sandy brown terminally ; rhinarium not connected 

 with the upper lip by a naked line ; snout very obtuse, eye large, 

 ears long and pointed, measuring 2^ to 3 in., thickly clothed 

 with hairs basally, nearly naked terminally, bearing at the base 

 of the inner margin a little fleshy projecting lobe resembling a bat's 

 tragus ; fore limbs short, with five toes, all provided with long, 

 curved, and pointed claws, palm of the hand with a large, rounded, 

 naked pad at the root of the thumb, and another smaller oval one 

 with a fringe of hairs around it at the root of the fifth digit ; hind 

 limbs much elongated, the tarsus being as long as the foot from 

 the knee to the ankle ; only four toes, the third the largest, the 

 fifth the smallest, and the first absent, all armed with solid hoof- 

 like nails ; sole of the foot hairy to the claws ; tail about as long 

 as the head and body, covered with long hairs, sandy brown above, 

 pale below, the terminal third black ; mammae 4 in number, 

 pectoral in position. 



Dimensions (from a stuffed specimen). Head and body 23-50 ; 

 tail without terminal hairs 20'50 ; with 21-50 ; hind foot 6'50 ; from 

 ear-opening to tip of nose 4-0 ; skull length from condyle to pre- 

 maxillae 2-95, between perpendiculars 3'8, breadth 2-35 ; upper 

 molars '78. 



Distribution. Found throughout the drier and higher parts of 

 South Africa extending northwards to Angola and Unyamwezi in 

 German East Africa, but not apparently occurring in Nyassaland, 

 Mozambique, or Natal ; the South African Museum possesses 



