THE ELEPHANT SHREW 35 



the plain of Ain el Ibel in Algeria. In 1881, a 

 specimen taken on Mont Santa Cruz, near Oran, 

 was presented to the Paris Museum by M. Bolivar. 

 It also occurs in the alfa grass district of Ain 

 Oussera; at Djelfa; at Bou Saada ; at Laghouat; 

 and even near Algiers. Dr. Riippell obtained an ^ 

 adult specimen in Abyssinia ; my own were taken 

 in Morocco. Living in barren stony districts, 

 these little creatures hide away in the daytime 

 in holes and burrows, perhaps sunk perpendicularly 

 for a certain depth like those of the jumping 

 shrew of Cape Colony. At night the macroscelides 

 hunt for beetles in the sand, probing diligently with 

 their tiny trunks ; less particular than many of their 

 congeners, they will also eat seeds. The Algerian 

 shrew usually occurs in pairs, and there are but two 

 young ones in a litter ; the musky odour above 

 mentioned probably prevents straggling. When 

 alarmed, these animals bound away at a rapid pace 

 in kangaroo fashion. Owing to their elongated 

 snouts they resemble opossums or bandicoots; hence 

 the marsupial appearance is heightened. Especially 

 does the macroscelides recall the short-nosed bandi- 

 coot (Perameles obesula) of Australia, which again 

 is itself superficially rat-like. These bandicoots have 

 long muzzles with very small mouths, and longish 

 ears ; the fur is brown or greyish brown, and they 

 often stand up on their hind legs. The head is the 

 chief point of resemblance between the two, thouo-h 



