134 ANIMAL LIFE IN AFRICA 



soft, and lacking in elasticity, so that great care must 

 be exercised in sewing up specimens. The ears are 

 rounded and very short ; the tail is rat -like and 

 measures a good deal less than the head and body ; the 

 legs are short. 



The Cane Rat haunts the reed beds which border so 

 many African rivers, lakes, and pools, lying close in its 

 shelter by day, and by night feeding on the young shoots, 

 as well as on the roots and leaves of water-plants. It 

 is a pest to any gardens which may be planted near by, 

 as it cuts right through the stalks of the maize and millet 

 with its sharp teeth. It is a strong swimmer, and almost 

 invariably takes to the water when pursued. Cane Rat 

 hunting with dogs affords quite good sport, and is largely 

 indulged in by the natives of the Transvaal low country, 

 who are very fond of the meat. The latter is very tender 

 and good, and no one need have the least hesitation in 

 partaking of it, for this animal is a purely vegetable 

 feeder, and the term "rat" is entirely a misnomer. 

 Though rather solitary in habit, amid suitable environ- 

 ment, the Cane Rat exists in great numbers, and at Sabi 

 Bridge has always formed a never-failing stand-by for 

 the feeding of captive carnivorous animals. 



THE COMMON PORCUPINE. This porcupine is spread 

 over the greater part of the Ethiopian region, and is 

 found in almost every description of country, whether 

 flat or hilly, open or forested. It is strictly nocturnal 

 and solitary in habit, spending the day underground 

 in burrows and holes, whence it comes forth at night to 

 seek its food in the shape of roots and fruits. It is a 

 serious foe to cultivation, having a well-developed taste 

 for grain of all kinds, as well as for pumpkins, cultivated 

 roots and bulbs. 



It moves at a shuffling walk or trot, with much rattling 



