160 African Zoology . 



Gerbillus Auricularis, Smith. (KamiesbcrgGcrbille.) Hair 

 long and soft. The surface colour of the upper parts of the 

 head, the neck, and the back, a pale tawny brown faintly and 

 sparingly pencilled or mottled with dull black ; sides of neck 

 and body tawny brown of a lighter tint ; cheeks white 

 ■variegated with clear tawny brown ; upper lip, chin, lower 

 parts of neck, breast, belly, and feet, pure white ; whiskers dull 

 black, the hairs light towards their tips ; behind each ear a 

 distinct, pure white blotch ; ears small, oval, and flesh-coloured, 

 the inner surfaces margined with some short whitish hairs, else- 

 where bare; the outer surfaces thinly sprinkled with some short 

 brownish black hairs. Tail thickly covered with short stiff 

 hair, above brownish, beneath reddish white ; toes short, nails 

 small and covered with white hair. Teeth white, the upper 

 incisors longitudinally grooved in front. Length from nose to 

 base of tail four inches and three-quarters ; length of tail two 

 inches and three-quarters. 



Inhabits South Africa, — Mountains of Little Namaqualand. 



Gerbillus Namaquettsis, Smith. (Namaqualand Gcrbille.) 

 Hair very long and soft ; upper parts of head, neck, and body, 

 subferruginous or fawn coloured, slightly pencilled with black, 

 more particularly on the posterior p rt of the hack ; sides o-f 

 neck and body the same colour, only lighter and without the 

 black pencilling ; upper lip, chin, lower parts of neck, breast, 

 belly, and feet, a bluish white; whiskers moderate, the hairs 

 black towards their bases and whitish or colourless towards 

 their points ; ears long and very broad, the insides thinly 

 sprinkled with short white hairs towards their margins, the out- 

 sides, generally, with thinly scattered short black hairs. Tail 

 •with distinct scaly rings and a very scanty covering of short 

 hair, which is black on the upper surface and reddish white 

 beneath ; nails short and covered with reddii?h white hairs ; 

 toes short ; liinder extremities shorter in proportion than iu 

 the two preceding species. Licisors of the upper jaw smooth 

 and (wange-coloured. The hairs on the back and sides to- 

 wards their roots slate-coloured, on the belly and under-parts 

 entirely white. Length from nose to root of tail five inches and 

 a half; length of tail four inches and three-quarters. 



Inhabits South Africa, — Little Namaqualand, where it is 

 known by the name of Nacht Muis. 



Obs. The molars and upper incisors in this species do not exactly cor- 

 respond in structure with those of the Gerbillus Afer; the tail approxi- 

 mates it to the true mice, and the shortness of the hind-legs requires it to 

 be viewed at the least as an aberrant species. When the order Rodentia 

 shall undergo a thorough revision, and the numerous species be examined 

 and faithfully compared, the present will doubtless be found to have its 

 appropriate position in a dill'erent genns. 



(To be continued.) 



