EAST AFKICAN MAMMALS. 707 



remains in the gallery, singing and shouting to prevent the 

 animal breaking back ; so it would appear that not too inuch 

 faitl\ is placed upon the virtues of the liorns. 



The youngsters enjoy their work hugely, and have dark rings 

 chalked round their eyes " to enable them to see in the daik," 

 They are simply smothered in red soil, for, indeed, when not 

 otherwise occupied, they play hide-and-seek in the galleries, and 

 pop up unexpectedly from the various entrances, or turn somer- 

 saults in the dust. 



When the porcupine is uncovered he is speared to death, and 

 being veiy tenacious of life, does not succumb to wounds that 

 would kill any other animal. In the case of those unearthed for 

 me, 1 shot them. One of these was shot through the head with a 

 •22, and I supposed was about dead. I therefore told the " fundi " 

 to bi-ing it out of the burrow, and so demonstrate the truth of 

 his statement that he could handle porcupines with impunity, 

 lie was very reluctant, but, pressed by the onlookers, took liold of 

 the animal, which promptly drove four quills into his palm. One 

 of the youngsters sucked the wound, whilst another fetched some 

 green leaves, which he chewed into a paste and spat upon the 

 wounds, with the object of preventing their hurting. Neverthe- 

 less, the " fundi " stated next day that he had been unable to 

 sleep from the pain in his hand. I came to the conclusion that, 

 as a medicine-man, he was a downright fraud. 



When given a coup de grdce, a porcupine's rattle is very active, 

 and every quill in its body vibrates and rattles. 



The fundi told me that last month he found two females 

 occupying the same burrow, each having two young, the noi-mal 

 number. The nipples are situated on the side just behind the 

 fore-limbs. 



They all swarmed with a very large species of flea (Pario- 

 dontis rigyenhachi), which transferred themselves to my skinners, 

 to the latter's great discomfort. 



B A T H Y E R G I D .'E. 



Heliophobius emini Noack. 



This IBlesmol is known to the Wakami and Wasagara as Fuko. 



It would appear to be far from common, ns only a single pair 

 (d. 160. 12. 32. mm., $. 180. 14. 30. mm.) were obtained 

 during the three years. Both were taken at Kipera on 5. v. 23. 



The presence of these burrowing rodents is made manifest by tlie 

 heaps of fresh soil, as large as a mole-hill, which they will excavate 

 in the course of a single night. The female was obtained in a 

 mealie shamba by digging some six feet along, the blesinol being 

 found at the terminus, which was only some eighteen inches below 

 the surface. My collector said that it was but a poor method of 

 catching them, as one might dig for hours without overtakin<^ 

 one, and if the excavated soil was fresh the way to capture them 



