Mainmalia. 1 47 



browuish grey or an obscure pale slate colour freciy pencilled 

 with tawry, and slightly with black ; the rest of the back, 

 sides, and posterior extremities, dull chcsnut. Chin, under 

 parts of neck, breast, belly, and the lower parts of the anterior 

 extremities, dull white, more or less tinged with tawny or pale 

 rufous : apex of muzzle deep chesnut ; whiskers long, rigid, 

 and black ; ears thick, blackish, and almost naked. Tail cylin- 

 drical, and thickly covered with stiff black hairs, which are rather 

 long at the point, elsewhere short ; cutting-teeth of a yellowish 

 tint. The bases of most of the hairs are of a bluish grey colour. 

 The surface colours vary considerably in diiicrent individuals, 

 but the upper and anterior parts always exhibit more or less 

 of a bluish grey tint, and the hinder parts a distinct or obscure 

 chcsnut shade. Length from nose to root of tail about eight 

 inches ; length of tail about six inches. 



Inhabits South Africa, — rocky mountains of Namaqualand. 



Ohs. I have placed this genus in the Scitiridae, binder an impression, 

 th-it v.'hen the various species wliich are at present included in the genus 

 Si:iuius shall have hesa properly examined, several subdivisions will re- 

 quire to be established, some one of which may probably stand in close 

 alinity with P^tiomijs. 



Fam. MURID.E. 



Genus Akvicola. Desmarest. 



Incisors I. canines ^sj molars 2 h— ^6- Molars without true 

 roots and with fiat crowns, marked by zig-zag plates oj" enamel ; 

 the first tooth the largest ; ears short, rotind, and hairy; Jore- 

 feet withfuxir tots and short nails, hind-feet with five toes closely 

 covered with hair. Tail about half the length of the body, 

 ringed, and more or less covered with short stiff hair. 



Arvicola Niloticus, Desmarest. (Egyptian Vole.) Ears large 

 and round ; thumbs of fore-feet very small; hairs riaid and 

 black towards their bases ; surface colour of back red-brown, 

 of under-parts yellowish grey, muzzle reddish; the inner sides 

 of extremities whitish; the toes reddish grey ; tail moderately 

 hairy, and almost as scaly as in the rat. Length from nose to 

 base of tail seven inches ; length of tail four inches and a half. 



Inhabits Egypt, — about the sides of rivers. 



Hypudaous Niloticus, Brants. Geslacht der Muizcn, p. 87. 

 Lemus Niloticus, Geoffrey, Description de V Egypte. 



Genus Otomvs. Smith. 



Incisors?^, canines I", molars I ^„ — 16. Upper jaw — incisors 

 plain in front or each with a longitudinal groove ; the first molar 

 the largest, the last much the smallest, the crowns, particularly 

 of the first and second, much broken by suhcircular or irregular 



