1334 THE RODENTS 



Africa possesses a single representative of this group of the family, 

 known as the cane rat {Aulacodus swinderianus*) , which is a large spe- 

 cies of burrowing habits, easily recognized by three deep grooves on each of its 

 broad red upper incisor teeth; these grooves giving the name to the genus of which 

 this animal is the only representative. The molar teeth resemble those of the 

 hutias. The cane rat attains a length of about twenty-one inches to the root of the 

 tail; the tail measuring from five and one-half to eight and one-half inches. Its gen- 

 eral appearance is rat-like, with the fur very coarse, and the tail but sparsely haired. 

 In the fore-feet the thumb is rudimentary and the fifth toe small; while in the hind- 

 foot the first toe is entirely wanting. The general color of the fur is brown, richer 

 in tint on the back than on the flanks; the chin and upper lip being whitish, while 

 the throat is a dirty yellow, and the under parts pale brownish yellow. The feet 

 are penciled with black and yellow. A full-grown male will weigh as much as nine 

 or ten pounds. The cane rat has an extensive distribution in Africa, ranging from 

 the Upper Nile (where it is represented by a variety with partially- webbed hind- 

 feet) through Eastern and Central Africa to the Cape; while on the western side it 

 ranges as far north as Guinea. In Guinea it is known to the natives as the yumba, 

 while in Southeastern Africa it is termed the ivondue. In Sierra Leone it is said to 

 feed chiefly upon groundnuts and roots, in search of which it digs in the soil, while 

 it also forms burrows for its residence. In Southeastern Africa the habits of these 

 Rodents appear to be somewhat different. For instance, Mr. W. H. Drummond 

 states that cane rats " do not form burrows of their own; but when forced out of the 

 thick tangle of overgrown grass or reeds in which they lie, a task by no means easy 

 of accomplishment, they take refuge in any hole or crevice among rocks or stones, 

 or in the deserted burrows of the ant-eater or porcupine. They are not only 

 destructive to a degree among sugar cane, gnawing down stem after stem, but most 

 difficult to extirpate. In spots such as these, they live in what fields happen to be 

 lying fallow, which, being covered with an impenetrable thicket of grass and weeds, 

 offer them a secure retreat from which they can nightly issue forth into the canes. ' ' 

 The cane rat is largely hunted by the natives, and in some cases by Europeans, for 

 the sake of its flesh. Schweinfurth remarks that its flesh "is excellent when 

 roasted; it is rich, and without being sweet and insipid like that of the hyrax, it is 

 free from any unpleasant flavor. In quality it is about equal to poultry, while in 

 taste it may be described as being intermediate between pork and veal. ' ' 



There are numerous other South-American representatives of the 

 Octodonts. These are mostly smaller rat-like forms than the preced- 

 ing, with long cylindrical tails; many of them being remarkable for the intermixture 

 of flattened lance-like spines with the fur. Some of the best-known genera are 

 Loncheres and Echinomys, and these are mostly characterized by the possession 

 of the above-mentioned spines. The majority of the species of these two genera in- 

 habit Guiana and Brazil, but one species of Echinomys ranges into Central America. 

 Most of them are brown above and white beneath, but in some cases the white ex- 

 tends on to the flanks, shoulders, and head, thus giving them somewhat the appear- 

 ance of long-tailed guinea pigs. A third genus, Carterodon, of which there is but 

 one Brazilian species, is distinguished by a longitudinal groove on each upper incisor. 



