306 NATURAL HISTORY OF iliFRICA. 



incompatible. They imagine themselves to have seen, in 

 the limited actual number of lions and tigers, a guarantee 

 of nature, as it has been called, for our preservation, and 

 that of animal life, throughout the world. But the truth 

 is, as Azara and others have remarked, that these tremen- 

 dous creatures rarely attack the human race, except in cases 

 of great necessity, or in self-defence. 



Africa produces two other fine feline animals, the panther 

 and the leopard, on the history of which we shall not at 

 present enter. Although they are both well known, and 

 frequently exhibited in our menageries, considerable con- 

 fusion still exists regarding their natural history and loca- 

 lities in the works of zoological writers. Lynxes also occur 

 in Africa. 



Passing over the seals and other amphibious quadrupeds, 

 of which we know of none characteristic of this continent, 

 we come to the order called Glires by naturalists, more fa- 

 miliarly named gnawers. Of these the first and most 

 beautiful tribe which presents itself is that of the squirrels. 



Few of these inhabit the country now under discussion. 

 The forests of America are their famiUar homes, and many 

 species also occur in India and the Asiatic islands. But 

 the African woods are likewise, though to a more limited 

 extent, enlivened by the gambols of these graceful creatures. 



The palm-squirrel is somewhat larger than our British 

 species. It inhabits the warmer regions of Asia and Africa, 

 and dwells on palm-trees. The Madagascar squirrel is 

 found in the island of that name ; and the Gingi squirrel, 

 so called from its Indian locality, is also alleged to occur at 

 the Cape of Good Hope. 



Of the marmot tribe, numerous in the north of Asia and 

 America, and represented in Europe by the Alpine species, 

 so famous for its long-continued winter sleep, Africa pro- 

 duces very few examples. The only one indeed with which 

 we are acquainted is the marmot gundi {Arctomys gundi of 

 Gmelin), a species resembling the European kind in its 

 form, but characterized by having only four toes to each 

 foot. The size is that of a rabbit ; its colour reddish ; its 

 ears very short, but broad in their openings ; and its locality 

 Mount Atlas, 



