XOTES MADE HV LORTXG 497 



pockets just oft' the main runway. Most of tliein were empty, luit (luo 

 was filled with the aiiiiiiars droppiufrs. 

 Kapiti lilesmol ( .)/i/fMYY/Ay//.v /iT/yxV/). Tlii- mole-rat. wliich proved to he new 

 to eioieuce, was first encountered at Potha, on Kapiti Plains, and it was 

 again met with at Ulukenia Hills. I was shown several skins tliat were 

 tiken al)oiit lifteen miles east of Nairohi. Tiiey were the most difficult 

 of all mole-rats to catch, because tliey lived in the very sandy soil, and 

 almost invariably covered the trap with sand without themselves getting 

 into it. J found a number of tlieir skulls in the pellets of I)arn and other 

 species of owls. 



Springhaas (Pedcfes surdastcr). \'ery common at Xaivasha station, where 

 their burrows were numerous, on a sandy flat practically in the town, 

 and many were taken within a liundred yards of the station. They are 

 nocturnal, although one instance canu' under my observation where a 

 springhaas was seen on a dark day to rini from one burrow to another. 

 By hunting them on dark nights, witli the aid of an acetylene light, we 

 were able to secure a good series of skins. ^Vhen the light was flasherl 

 on them, their eyes shone like l)alls of tire tlie size of a penny, and it w;is 

 not uncommon to see from two to five and six within the radius of the 

 light at one time. They were usually flashed at a distance of about a 

 liundred yards, ami as the light drew near tliey would watch it, frequently 

 bo])l)ing up and down. Often they liopjied away tr) right or to left, but 

 very seldom did their fright carry them into their burrows unless a shot 

 was fired ; in fact, even then we sometimes followed up one of their 

 companions and secured it. Some allowed us to approacli within ten 

 feet before moving, and then off tiiey would go in great bounds, but 1 

 was never able in the dim light to see wliether or not their tails aided 

 them in jumping. I once shot a fox from a cluster of eyes that I am 

 positive were those of springhaas ; this, together with the fact that the 

 stomachs of all of the foxes killed contained termites and insects, leads 

 me to believe that these two animals are more or less congenial. Dr. 

 Mearns saw a springhaas sitting witli its tail curled around to one side of 

 its body, similar to the position often assumed by a house cat. 



Several small colonies of springhaas were discovered on sandy flats near 

 Ulukenia Hills. Two females taken from the same burrow showed great 

 variation in size, one having a tail several inches longer and ears larger 

 than the other. Although I never discovered a burrow that was com- 

 pletely blocked with .sand, in the morning one could find quantities of 

 fresh sand that had been thrown out of the entrance during the night. 



Great-eared Fox {(Hoiyon virgartus). This new species of fox we discovered 

 at Naivasha, and fourul it very common there. All of the seven specimens 

 secured were taken by "jacking" at night, although while travelling 

 over the Uganda Railroad we frequently saw them singly or in pairs in 

 broad daylight. The white j)eople knew nothing of a fox in this country, 

 and had always called them "jackals.'' They seemed to live in pairs, 

 and groups of three to six. On dark nights it was usually easy to shine 

 their eyes, and approach within shooting range. ^Ve would shine a fox, 

 then suddenly the glare of its eyes would disappear, and we would walk 

 about, casting the light in all directions, until we again saw the two balls 

 of fire glaring some fifty or a hundred yards away. Often the foxes 

 would slink about for some time before we got within gunshot range. 

 Frequently we saw two, and sometimes three and four, standing so close 

 together that it was surprising that the spread of the shot did not kill 

 more tlian one. One evening Dr. Mearns and I started out about nine 

 o'clock, and returned about midnight. Most of the hunting was done 

 on an elevated brushv plateau, within short distance of a native village, 



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