81 



AFRICAN ZOOLOGY 



By Dr. SMITH. 



Continued from page 64. 



Genus Chrysochloris. Lacepede. 

 incisors I, conical teeth 1 1, molars 1 1, — 40. Upper incisors 

 strong and sharp, lower intermediate ones very small; muzzle 

 terminated by a cartilaginous appendage ; fore feet short with 

 three toes armed with strong nails ; hinder feet with five toes ; 

 eyes very small ; external ears and tail wantinrj. 



Chrysochloris Capensis. Desm. (Cape Mole.) Fur moderately 

 long and silky ; the surface colour of the back and sides a very 

 deep green with a brilliant metallic or coppery gloss which 

 varies in intensity and shade according to the light in which it 

 is viewed ; beneath greyish green with less of the metallic 

 lustre ; behind and a little above the angle of the mouth on 

 each side, a more or less distinct and irregular-shaped white 

 spot. Length from nose to hinder part of back about five 

 inches. — On the back and sides each hair is dull greyish white 

 towards middle, and dark greyish blue towards its base, beneath 

 dark blackish blue except the tip. 



Inhabits South Africa, — in gardens about Cape Town. 



Desm. Ency. Method. 156. Aspalax, Seba. Talpa Sibirica 

 Aurea, Brisson. Talpa Asiatica, Gm. Musaraigue Doree, 

 Cuv. Tab. Element, des Anim. Schreb. tab. 157. 



Chrysochloris Holtentota, Smith. (The Red Cape Mole.) Fur 

 moderately long, and not quite so fine as tlie last : the surface 

 colour above and on the sides is reddish brown or ferruginous 

 of various shades with a metallic gloss, which is not so con- 

 spicuous as in the last ; beneath pale ferruginous. In some 

 specimens the centre of the back has a dark greenish tinge. 

 The middle and baselar portions of the hairs are of a dark slate 

 colour; the apex of the muzzle light flesh coloured ; figure 

 of this species more slender than that of the Chrysochloris 

 Capensis. Hinder extremities with five toes. Length about 

 five inches. 



Inhabits South Africa. — Eastern districts of the Colony. 



Obs. I am not satisfied that Naturalists are warranted in considering 

 this as identical with the Talpa rubra Americana of Seba, and therefore 

 have continued to it the name, under whicli I described it, in the Zoologi- 

 cal Journal, tol. ii. ;i. 43G. 



Chrysochloris villosa, Smith. (Natal Mole.) Fur long and 

 rather coarse ; the surface colour of back and sides light tawny 

 ■brown sprinkled with dark blackish brown ; of the rump bluish 

 black ; the under surface indistinct tawny brown with a grey 

 shade ; chin, upper lip, and sides of head white, sprinkled with 



