SPALACID^E 477 



Palestine, and Eastern Africa as far south as Mozambique. A. 

 dimidiatus presents the appearance of a little Hedgehog when its 

 spines are erected; it inhabits the stony deserts of Arabia Petraja 

 and Palestine, and feeds on bulbs. A fossil Mouse (A. gaudryi) 

 referred to this genus occurs in the Lower Pliocene of Attica. 



Echinothrix. 1 — A very remarkable rat with an extr-emely elong- 

 ated muzzle, all the bones of the face being much produced. The 

 incisors are faintly grooved. The only species is E. leucura, an 

 animal of about the size of the Brown Rat, with its fur thickly 

 mixed with spines. It is found in Celebes. 



TypMomys. 2 — This genus is represented by a single species from 

 China, which resembles a House-Mouse in size and general appear- 

 ance, but has smaller ears, while the eyes are so reduced in size as 

 to be totally concealed by the long eyelashes. 



Cricetomys 3 and Saccostomus. 4 — These two African genera have 

 been — from the presence of cheek-pouches — usually placed in the 

 neighbourhood of Cricetus, but their molars are of the Murine type. 

 ( 'ricetomys is said to have grooved upper incisors, and is represented 

 only by C. gambianus. There are two species of Saccostomus. 



Pithechirus. — A small Rodent from Sumatra and Java described 

 under this name is a true Mouse, having nothing to do with 

 Chiropodomys, to which it has been compared. 



Family Spalacid^. 



Mole-like forms, with very small or rudimentary eyes and ear- 

 conchs, large claws, and short or rudimentary tail. Form cylin- 

 drical. Incisors large; premolars present or absent; molars rooted, 

 with re-entering enamel-folds ; palate narrow. 



Subfamily Spalaeinse. — Angular part of the mandible arising 

 from the lower edge of the socket of the lower incisor. No pre- 

 molars. 



Spalax. 5 — Represented by the great Mole -Rat (S. typhlus) of 

 South-Eastern Europe, in which the eyes are completely covered by 

 the skin. 



Bhizomys. e — Eyes uncovered, although very minute ; small 

 naked ear-conchs ; and a short partially hairy tail. Includes 

 several species from Northern India, Tibet, China, Burma, Malaya, 

 and Eastern Africa. A fossil species occurs in the Pliocene Siwaliks 

 of Northern India. 



1 Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1867, p. 599. Amended from Echirays. 



- Milne-Edwards, Bull. Soc. Philom. ser. 6, vol. xi. p. 9 (1877). 



:; Waterhouse, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1840, p. 2. 



4 Peters, Monatsber. Ak. Berlin, 1846, p. 25S. 



5 Giildenstadt, Nov. Comment. Petrop. vol. xiv. art. i. p. 409 (1770). 



6 Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1830, p. 95. 



