258 U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 2 75 



of the coastal escarpment. All specimens were collected near the 

 brink of this escarpment where it becomes less abrupt and transforms 

 into the high rolling uplands of the Gebel Nefusa. The coastal escarp- 

 ment is varied in its degree of steepness and surface configuration. 

 Frequently well-defined terraces exist on its slopes, into which have 

 accumulated irregular masses of boulders and smaller rocks, all of 

 which provide suitable habitat for the gundi. The less precipitous 

 slopes of the larger wadis, which dissect the Gebel Nefusa and descend 

 through the coastal escarpment onto the coastal lowlands, have ir- 

 regular cliffs, rocky outcrops and boulder-strewn areas, which are ideal 

 for the habitat requirements of the gundi. The fact that specimens 

 were collected and observed only in the higher portions of the gebel 

 near Rumia is a direct result of my efforts having been concentrated 

 there and does not indicate that gundis are most abundant at higher 

 elevations or that they do not occur at lower elevations. 



Near Cussabat, gundis were abundant in the rocky hillsides of the 

 easternmost limits of the Gebel Nefusa. The escarpment here is lower 

 in elevation and more gradual in slope, and rocky areas are more 

 sporadic and localized. A large series of gundis was obtained from the 

 ledges and rocky outcroppings near the valley floor. Vegetative cover 

 was denser here than at Rumia and consisted primarily of clumps of 

 perennials scattered among the rocks and cliffs. 



Vegetative cover among the rocks and boulder fields, although never 

 dense, is surprisingly uniform. Several species of succulent, herbaceous 

 perennials are widespread in these rocky areas, but grasses are almost 

 always the dominant type of vegetation. Freshly cut stems and leafy 

 portions of these plants, mingled with fecal droppings, were frequently 

 observed on rocky ledges and beneath boulders and indicated the 

 presence of gundis in a given area. 



Hunting these animals with a shotgun proved to be the most effec- 

 tive method. They are usually extremely wary and appear for only 

 short periods of time in the sunlight or in the shaded recesses of large 

 rocks, rocky ledges, and projections. On one occasion on the gebel near 

 Rumia, three gundis were shot in rapid succession, each one appearing 

 on the same rocky ledge as its predecessor after the latter had fallen 

 dead into a nearby crevice. Presumably these rodents are exclusively 

 diurnal and reach a peak in their activity during the hours of mid- 

 morning after the sun's rays have warmed the ledges and feeding 

 stations. They seem to have a secondary surge of activity in the late 

 afternoon after the heat of the day has subsided. In the middle of the 

 day, when maximum temperatures prevail, they remain in the sanc- 

 tuary of their nests in crevices and fissures of the rocky outcroppings. 



Even though the gundis near Rumia were collected in late winter 

 (early March), daytime temperatures reached 98° F and, at night, 



