14 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol.73 



to handle. If confined in a room they will gnaw the doors in a most 

 astonishing and persistent manner, and it is a stout cage that will 

 hold a porcupine in captivity for long. 



Just a few days before embarkation, the porcupines killed a jumping 

 hare, and ate more than half its head, this despite the fact that they 

 had occupied the same room for two months. 



HELIOPHOBIUS EMINI Noack 



BLESMOL 



Native name. — Fuko (Kiswahili). 



A single blesmol was captured in the road near Dodoma and was 

 placed in an empty paraffin drum three-quarters filled with earth. 

 The drum was covered with double-wire netting (single soon gave 

 way), v,^hich it spent its time in gnawing very persistently during the 

 two months of its captivity. It throve and was in excellent condition 

 and its death was entirely due to the negligence of a native attendant. 

 Maize, European potatoes, and groundnuts were its food. Occasion- 

 ally the earth was damped to make it bind better for the burrowing 

 operations of the blesmol; and it was changed once a fortnight. 



LEPUS species 

 HARE 



Native names. — Sungula (Chigogo); Sungula (Kiswahili). 



Hares are decidedly scarce in the neighborhood of Dodoma. I only 

 encountered one in the open and that was near the station; at Saranda 

 they are comparatively common. A young one as tame as a domestic 

 cat was presented to the expedition by some ladies living near Dodoma. 

 It drank milk from a saucer, nibbled grass, and if put down made no 

 attempt to escape. 



A very emaciated adult was brought in by a native who alleged he 

 had run it down. It was found to be swarming with fleas (Ctenoce- 

 phalus jelis and canis, also EcMdnopliaga species) , ticks {RhipicepJialus 

 appendiculatus , males and females, Haemaphysalis leachi, males and 

 females), and worms {Dermatoxys vellig era) , when it died (August 28, 

 1926), and a nymphal tick of the family Ixodidae a couple of days 

 later. Measurements of adult female are 460. 10. 120. 125 mm.; 

 young female, 235. 50. 70. 80. mm., taken on August 6, 1926. 



THOS MESOMELAS MCMILLANI Heller 

 MCMILLAN'S BLACK BACKED JACKAL 



Native names. — Nchewe (Chigogo); Bweha (Kiswahili) 



Two jackals were box trapped at Dodoma, a locality where 



they are very abundant. One of these animals gave birth to five 



puppies on July 24, but she ate one and would not feed the others. 



Another, a male, which was preserved, measured 170. 75. 30. 10 mm. 



