XERUS CAPENSIS. 51 



unknown to the majority of naturalists , that Kerr was 

 the first to describe this species under the name capen- 

 sis. Some authors give it the specific title capensis Thun- 

 berg, but Thunberg wrote in 1811 and nineteen years 

 earlier Robert Kerr (1792) characterised it in the follow- 

 ing excellent terms: „Cape Squirrel. Sciurus capensis. Of 

 „a pale ferruginous colour on the upper parts of the 

 „body, mixed with black; with a white line from the 

 „shoulder along each side: the tail is black in the middle 

 „and hoary at the sides; the ears are scarcely apparent. 

 „(Earless Dormouse. Penn. hist, of quadr. n". 290). — The 

 „head is flat, with a blunt nose, full black eyes, divided 

 „upper lip and long whiskers , the belly and feet are dirty 

 „white, and there is a white line above each eye: the toes 

 „are long and distinct, with a large knob on each fore 

 „foot in place of a thumb : the claws are long ; the hind 

 „legs are black and naked behind. It is „about the size of 

 the Common Squirrel but much broader „and flatter in its 

 make." 



The name setosus Forster would have been the oldest, 

 if Forster had indeed described this squirrel anywhere ; in vain 

 however I have carefully scrutinized periodical works , catalo- 

 gues, etc., and neither I nor one of my friends , who kindly 

 investigated this question at my request, have been able to 

 find a description of the Cape Squirrel by Forster. Lichten- 

 stein in 1844 published : „Forsteri descriptiones Animalium in 

 itinere ad Maris australis terras per annos 1772 — 74 suscepto 

 observatorum ," and there we read on page 39: „Sciurus 

 „palmarum Linn. Var. /a = Sciurus alhovittatus Desm. == Sciu- 

 „rus setosus Smuts. = Sciurus capensis Thunb. . . Habitat 

 „ad Cap. bon. spei. . ." If Forster had named this Squirrrel 

 setosus , Lichtenstein would not have cited setosus Smuts , 

 this author having written in 1832. Fischer (1829) was 

 the first author , as far as I know , who cited setosus For- 

 ster and all the succeeding writers have merely copied this 

 name without giving any account as to where it had 

 properly been described by Forster. 



Notes from tlie Leyden Museum, Vol. 1"V. 



