THE NAMAQUALAND GERBILLE 



territory of Lobengula the Matabelc King. Speci- 

 mens have been obtained also on the Mababe Flats, 

 Ngamiland and near Lake Ngami. 



In Ngamiland periodic floods occur, which, 

 strange to say, take place during the dry season. 

 At these times Lake Ngami and the great Okovango 

 marshes are filled, and hundreds of miles of dry 

 sandy country and large areas covered with acacia 

 trees are flooded. The various small mammals, 

 including Lobengula's Gerbille, retire before the 

 advancing water, and after the flood has reached 

 its height, the land surrounding the marshy ground 

 is often covered for miles with the holes of Gerbilles 

 and other forms of mice and rats. When the land 

 again dries up the fugitives return to their old 

 haunts. 



It is about 51 inches long from the point of the 

 nose to the root of the tail ; the latter is about an 

 inch longer than the body. The fur is light fawn 

 on the back, and finely grizzled with dull black ; 

 sides pale fawn ; below white, the line of demarca- 

 tion being strongly marked. 



THE NAMAQUALAND GERBILLE 



{Desmodillus auricularis) 



This species of Gerbille was originally obtained by 

 Sir Andrew Smith from Namaqualand, and is in 

 consequence known as the Namaqualand Gerbille. 



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