THE DEGU. 



129 



The hind limbs are not disproportionately developed, and both they and the fore feet are nearly 

 always furnished with five toe$, armed with curved claws ; and the clavicles are perfect. The ears 

 are generally short and sparingly hairy, and the tail, which is of various lengths, is either clad 

 with short hairs, or naked and scaly. 



We may begin with two African species of this generally American family, which have the 

 two inner claws of the hind feet furnished with comb-like fringes of horny bristles, whence the 

 name of Ctenodact ylus has been applied to the best known species. These two species, which 

 exhibit strong affinities to the Jerboas, form the sub-family CTEXODACTYLIN.E. The GUNDI (Cteno- 

 dactylus Massoni) has only three molars on each side in each jaw, and only four toes upon each foot. 

 It is an animal about the size of the Water Rat, but with a mere stump of a tail, very small ears, 

 very long whiskers, and the hind limbs rather longer than their fellows. It lives in North Africa, 

 chiefly on the borders of the Sahara, where it takes up its abode in the rocky hills, and descends 

 therefrom to the cultivated grounds to feast upon the growing corn. It is diurnal in its habits, but 

 exceedingly shy and watchful, making off to its fastnesses at the least appearance of danger. 

 Pectinator Spekei, a species named after its discoverer, the celebrated African traveller, is nearly 

 related to the preceding, but has a small additional molar in each series. The tail is of moderate 

 length, and bushy, and the ears have a small antitragus. It inhabits the Somali land in the interior 

 of North-eastern Africa. 



The DEGU (Octodon Cumingi'i), a very abundant species in Chili, which also extends into 

 Peru, may be taken as a typical example of the whole family, and also of its typical sub-family 

 OCTODONTIN^E, in which the molars are simply indented on each side. The fur is soft, and the 

 tail is short. The Degu is a rat-like animal, rather smaller than the Water Vole, the head and 

 body measuring from seven and a half to eight inches in length, and the tail, exclusive of its 

 terminal tuft, rather more than half that length. The general colour of the animal is brownish- 

 yellow, pencilled with black on the back ; the lower surface is yellowish, the feet white, and the 

 tail dusky above, whitish beneath, with the tufted tip dusky or blackish. In the central parts of 

 Chili, according to various travellers, the Degu is exceedingly abundant, living in large societies 

 about hedges and thickets, and running about 

 boldly, even on the high roads. The animals 

 make their burrows in the hedge-banks and 

 similar places, and when alarmed rush into 

 them with their tails elevated, very much 

 after the manner of Rabbits. As the bur- 

 rows communicate freely with each other, the 

 Degus can easily escape pursuit, going in at 

 one opening and coming out at another at 

 some considerable distance. They sometimes 

 climb up into the bushes among which they 

 live. Their ordinary food consists of the her- 

 bage which grows about their dwelling-places, 

 but they also invade gardens and fields, where 

 they may do considerable damage. In the 

 winter they will feed upon the tender bark of 

 certain trees, but they are said by some authors 

 to lay up a store of food against this season. 

 They do not become torpid. The female is 

 believed to produce two broods in the year, 

 each consisting of from four to six young. 



Two other species of Octodon are known from Chili and Bolivia, -which region is also inhabited by 

 two species of Habrocoma, a genus distinguished by the large size of the ears, and the extreme 

 softness of the fur. In these animals the molar teeth differ in the two jaws, the upper ones being 

 as simple as in the preceding species, while the lower ones show a complication of the enamel folds 

 like what we shall meet with in the third sub-family. 



