333 Dr. J. E. Gray's Synopsis of the African Squirrels 



Sciwus dimidiatus, Waterh.^ which he thought might be aa 

 American squirrel, has much the habit of the African tree- 

 squirrels. It will be noticed among the American Squirrels in 

 the next Number of the 'Annals.' 



II. Cheek-pouches none. Body covered with flat channelled spines, 

 sometimes intermixed with short cylindrical bristles, loithout 

 any under-fur. Ears rounded, only slightly raised from the 

 head. Terrestrial. Ground-Squirrels. 



6. Xerus. 

 Gray, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. 1867, p. 271. 



Xerus, Ehrenb., Temm. Esq. 121. Xeros, Peters. 

 Geosciurus, Lesson, A. Smith. 

 Tamias, sp., Gervais. 



Head moderate; nose rounded. Ears short, nearly naked, 

 little raised from the head. Cutting-teeth smooth in front. 

 Fur consisting of flat channelled spines, in some species inter- 

 mixed with black cylindrical tapering bristles. Front claws 

 long. Tail depressed, with two rows of elongated, rigid, droop- 

 ing bristles. Male organ very large. 



["mostly/' in the generic character at p. 271, should be 

 " scarcely."] 



a. Fur consisting only of flat channelled spines ; back grizzled, 



without any longitudinal streak. Xerus. 



b. Fur consisting of flat channelled spines and black cylindrical 



tapering bristles ; back grizzled, with a longitudinal streak 

 on each side. Geosciurus. 



Temminck and Gervais have referred to this genus some 

 Macroxi. The flattened form of the fur is certainly the best 

 character, as that agrees with the terrestrial habit of the animal. 



a. Back grizzled, without any longitudinal streak ; fur consisting 

 only of flat channelled spines. Xerus. 



1. Xerus rutilans, Gray, L. M. B. M. 144. 



Sciurtis rutilans, Riipp. Atlas, t. 24. 



X. rutilus, Temm. Esq. 



Sciurus rutilus, Schinz. 



Sc. brachyotus, Ehrenb. S. P. 



Fur reddish grey-brown, puuctulated with white ; orbits, nose, 

 cheeks, and beneath white; tail-hairs reddish brown, with a 

 darker subterminal band and long white tip. 



Hub. Abyssinia, Massana (RiippelFs type in B.M.). 



