PART II 

 SOME GNAWERS AND INSECT EATERS 



CHAPTER XIII 



(a) HARES, SQUIRRELS, THE CANE RAT, THE PORCU- 

 PINE, JERBOAS, PANGOLINS, THE ANT-BEAR 



THE continent of Africa contains a vast host of squirrels, 

 rats, mice, shrews, bats, and other very interesting 

 mammals, upon the correct classification of which 

 naturalists are now busy, but from which it will be 

 sufficient to select, for present purposes, a few of the 

 most interesting types. 



There are about seven different kinds of hares found 

 in Africa. 



The CAPE HARE is distributed over most of Africa 

 south of the Equator, in several local races. In size 

 it is about mid-way between a rabbit and a European 

 hare, and in colour is speckled brown and black above, 

 reddish white below. The tips of the ears are black ; the 

 tail is black above and white beneath. It is found both in 

 open and in forest country. Though it does not excavate 

 burrows for itself, it will often go to ground when pursued, 

 a rabbit-like characteristic without which it would find 

 existence very difficult, since it forms the prey of almost 

 every kind of carnivorous beast and bird. By habit it 

 is rather inclined to be a scavenger, and often comes at 

 night to pick up refuse round native villages. I have 

 found young ones hidden in " forms " in the long grass, 



