NATURAL HISTORY OF SOUTH AFRICA 



Province, and Selous' Spiny Mouse {Acomys selousi) 

 from Rhodesia and East Africa. 



In the former, the fur on the back is light brown, 

 and paler on the sides ; under parts pure white ; 

 a yellowish ring round the eye ; back covered with 

 coarse, spiny, flat hairs ; head and body about 3 J 

 inches ; tail shorter than head and body. The 

 difference in the latter species is : 



(i) Tail longer than the head and body. 



(2) Back rufous-brown with a smoky hue. 



The former is recorded from the Cape Province 

 and the latter from Rhodesia. 



Genus : Dasymys 



Rat-like animals with moderate, somewhat hairy 

 ears and rather coarse fur ; tail moderately scaly 

 and very sparsely haired ; skull somewhat inter- 

 mediate between that of Gerbillus and Mus. The 

 antorbital plate is produced forwards in hooked 

 shape (Sclater). There is one species and a sub- 

 species. The typical species, which is known as 

 Peter's Water Rat {Dasymys incomtus typicus), has 

 been recorded from Natal. This rat is rather large, 

 being from 6 to 6i inches in length, not including 

 the tail, which is slightly shorter than the he^d and 

 body. The fur, which is very thick, is dark brown 

 on the back, paler on the sides, and whitish on the 

 under parts. The body is thickset ; ears round, short 

 but broad, and clothed with hairs ; feet dark brown ; 



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