May 1897. East African Collection of Mammals — Elliot. 141 



is in the VI stage as described by Thomas, P. Z. S. p. 53,(1892), 

 when the tip of fn^ is just appearing. Although taken in the 

 highlands, 100 miles from Berbera, I refer this example to the 

 sub-specific form of F. brucei Gray, separated by Thomas. 



ORDER RODENTIA. 

 FAM. SCIURID^. 

 Xerus rutilus (Cretzsch). 



Spiny Squirrel. Native name Dahergdli. 



Laferug. 



Laferug. 



Hullier. 



Hullier. 

 This species of Ground Squirrel was very common, especially 

 south of the Golis Range, and we met with them wherever we 

 went. They live in holes, many of which they dig for them- 

 selves, sometimes in the midst of a dense thorn bush or clump of 

 aloes, impenetrable to most animals. Their ways are very squir- 

 rel-like, and they run with great swiftness, the bushy tail carried 

 over the back. When desirous of investigating an intruder on 

 their grounds, they sit upright on their haunches, and I have 

 often seen them stand up for quite a while on their hind legs, so 

 as to benefit by the additional height their heads could reach. 

 The coloring among individuals varies considerably from a pale 

 terra cotta to a rich reddish-brown, and as all the hairs are tipped 

 with white, the coat has a spotted appearance. The dark colored 

 individuals usually have the tail all reddish, or in a process of 

 change to a semblance of gray coloring (black tipped with white), 

 which seems to accompany the pale phase of pelage. We 

 obtained specimens in all stages of change as regards the tail, 

 some having this all reddish, others with tails partly red and 

 partly gray, and others again, with all gray tails. The change 

 from one color to the other seems to begin at the tip and work 

 towards the base, and sometimes it has a curious effect when per- 

 haps one-third of the length has become gray, for it looks as if a 

 portion of a tail of a different individual has been grafted on. 

 Most of the specimens we obtained had the tails red, or in proc- 

 ess of change, very few having complete gray tails, so I imagine 

 the red phase is the summer coat, and the gray the winter. 



