170 African Zuohgy. 



Fam. CUNICULARIDiE. 



Genus Bathyeugus. Illiger. 



Incisors i, canines %^j molars t\, — 20. Incisors projecting in 

 front of the lips, upper ones plain or each with a longitudinal 

 groove in front ; molars without true roots, indented on the edges; 

 body thick and cylindrical ; head thick; muzzle truncated ; eyes 

 very small; no external ears; Ifgs short ; soles of feet and toes 

 margined with rigid hairs ; toes Jive, armed with nails fitted for 

 digging ; tail short, depressed, and margined with long stiff 

 hairs. 



Bathyergus maritimus, Illiger. (Cape Sand Mole.) Fui- 

 short and silky ; colour of the upper parts of head and body, 

 blue-grey with a rusty lint, which is generally most distinct up- 

 on the top of the head and back of the neck ; lower parts dull 

 grey, in some specimens with a faint rufous tinge : hair of the. 

 tail reddish white ; the rigid hairs margining the sides of feet 

 and toes white ; whiskers light grey-white ; eyes black ; point 

 of nose flesh-coloured ; cutting-teeth pure white, those of the 

 upper-jaw each with a broad, deep, longitudinal furrow. Ear ' 

 openings oval and with a bare flesh-coloured margin. Length 

 from nose to root of tail about fourteen inches ; length of tail 

 an inch and a half. When the fur is reversed it is found to be 

 slate-coloured, except towards the surface. 



Inhabits South Africa, — the sand flats near Cape Town. 



Mus maritimus, Gmel. Mus suillus, Schreb. Arctomys 

 maritimus, Thunb. in Mem. de V Acad, de Petersburg, torn iii. 

 p. 308. Grande taupe du Cap, Buff. Suppl. Sand Mole of 

 the Cape Colonists. 



Bathyergus Capensis, Desm. (Cape Spotted Mole.) Fur 

 rather long and very soft ; the surface colour of the upper and 

 lateral parts light rusty brown or dark grey, on the upper and 

 lateral parts of the head passing into dull black ; lower parts 

 of sides and belly reddish white ; muzzle, upper lip, spaces 

 round angles of mouth, lower lip, chin, circumferences of eyes 

 ■« and ear openings, together with a portion of the top of the head, 

 pure white; rigid hairs of tail, side of feet, and toes white; 

 claws horn-coloured ; cutting-teeth white, and plain in front. 

 Beneath the 'surface the fur is dark slate-coloured, excepting 

 where the pure^ white marks occur, in which situations it is 

 white throughout. Length from nose to base of tail about eight 

 inches ; length of tail three quarters of an inch. 



Inhabits South Africa. 



Mus Capensis Pallas, Gmel. Bodd. Taupe du Cap de Bonne 

 Esp. Buff. Georychus Capensis, Illiger. Bathyergus Capensis, 

 Desm. Mam. No. 520. Blesmol of the Cape Colonists. 



