HYRACID^. 279 



Fam. 3. HYRACID^. 



Nose blunt, without horns. Body covered with hair, with scat- 

 tered longer bristles. Toes rather elongate, blunt, with flat claws. 

 Tail short or none. Teeth 34 : incisors | . I ; canines § . § ; pre- 

 molars i . {; molars ^ . |. 



ITjTax, Hermann. 

 Lipm-a, I//ir/er. 



Hyracidse, Bonap. Prodr. Mmtol. ; Schinz, Syst. Mamm. p. 328 ; 

 Gray, Ann. 8c Mag. N, H. ser. 4. vol. i. p. 35, 1868. 



The species of the Hyraces are well marked both externally and 

 anatomically ; but there is great confusion as to the names that have 

 been given to them in the systematic catalogues. 



Prosper Alpinus, in his list of animals of Egypt and Arabia, indi- 

 cated a species of Hyrax under the name of Aynus JiUorum Israel, 

 which Shaw regarded as a large Jerboa ; but Bruce corrected this 

 error in his account of the Ashkoko. 



PaUas described and figured the Cape species under the name of 

 Cavia capensls, and Buffon as the Marmotte du Cap. It is well 

 known to naturalists as Hyrax capeiuis. 



Bruce notices a Hyrax ujider the name of Ashkoko, which he de- 

 scribed as colom-ed Hke a wild rabbit, with scattered black bristles 

 and white beneath. This wcU agrees with a Hyrax, now found in 

 Abyssinia, Dongola, and Upper Egyj^t, which is in the British Mu- 

 seiun. Bruce states that the animal is also found in Moimt Lebanon 

 and Arabia Petraja. 



Schreber, who only knew the animal from Bruce's figure and de- 

 scription, applied to it the scientific name of Hyrax syriacus. The 

 Asiatic species is very like the African ; but I believe it is distinct ; 

 and in that case Schreber's name is not applicable to the African 

 animal to which Bruce gave the name of Ashkoko ('■ coloured like a 

 wild rabbit and white beneath"), and which has a yellow dorsal streak. 

 Capt. Harris, who collected animals in Abyssinia, sent home several 

 specimens of a large blackish Hyrax having a large black dorsal spot 

 •and grey beneath, which he says is called Ashkoko by the natives ; 

 but it can scarcelj- be the Ashkoko of Bruce, as it does not agree 

 with either his description or figure : perhaps this name is generic. 

 Hyrax is also c;illed Gike in Abyssinia, according to Salt. 



Mr. Tristram informs us that the Hyrax in Palestine and Sinai is 

 called Weber, and Thofun in Southern Arabia. Bruce evidently 

 confounds these Hyraces together as one species. 



Several zoologists have doubted whether the Ashkoko of Bruce 

 was distinct from Hyrax ca2)e)isis : no one can doubt the fact who 

 compares the two. But the large blackish animal which is also 

 found in Abyssinia, and called by the same name as Bruce applies to 

 his species, is so Uke the //. capoisis that it would be doubtful if it 



