GROUND SQUIRREL 89 



towards the tip, where the hairs are banded with black 

 and white. The length of the head and body is 1 foot ; 

 the tail about 10 inches. The head is broad. The 

 Ground Squirrel ranges from the central portions of the 

 Cape Province (the Karroo-veld) northwards through the 

 Oran£:e Free State and the Bechuanaland Protectorate. 

 It is purely a terrestrial animal, forming burrows or holes 

 in the earth, where numbers live together in colonies or 

 warrens ; several may often be seen sitting up on their 

 hind legs like Mierkats, watching with great interest and 

 curiosity any passer-by. Should the intruder approach 

 too closely, into their burrows they all scuttle, one or 

 two, more venturesome than the rest, popping their 

 heads out for a last peep. It has a peculiar habit of 

 flashing the tail up and down (hence their Dutch name 

 of " Waving-tail "), and has a weird whining shriek 

 when alarmed. When captured young this squirrel 

 makes a tame and charming pet, running about the house 

 with the freedom of a cat. It feeds chiefly upon bulbs, 

 such as the " eentje " and the roots of various plants, 

 grain and seeds. Numbers of these squirrels have been 

 bred in the National Zoological Gardens and the quota 

 of young at a birth apparently varies from two to six — 

 four being the usual number. They live well in captivity 

 upon maize, sunflower seed, monkey-nuts (ground-nuts), 

 acorns, &c. The genus Geosciurus with its single 

 species is peculiar to the African continent. 



Family GLIRID.E. 



Dormice. Bos-staart Muiscn or Zcven-slaper. 



This is a group of small mouse-like animals with long 

 bushy tails, slender forelimbs, and large ears and eyes. 

 Their dentition is : 1 incisor above and 1 below, no 

 canines, 1 premolar, and 3 molars above and below 



