1904.] MAMMALS FROM XAMAQUALAND. 177 



" Very common, frequenting the more open country and 

 sleeping dui'ing the day in the dry river-beds and the stony 

 kopjes on the flats. They are very wary, and when disturbed usually 

 get up out of range. 



" Trapped at night in their sleeping- places or near meerkats' 

 burrows, where possibly they were on the look-out for a late 

 straggler. 



" Their food consists of beetles, &c."— 0. H. B. G. 



13. IcTONYX CAPENSis Kavip. 



S . 490, 530. 5 . 497, 503. Klipfontein. 



S . 537, 538. Anenous. 



" ' Yit-roq (white-backed) muishond ' of the Dutch. 



'' Frequenting both the kloof and the open flats. This animal 

 is very destructive to poultry, killing them for the sake of their 

 blood only. Usually found in paii-s and often caught one after 

 the other in the same trap." — C. H. B. G. 



14. Mellivora ratel Sparrm. 



$ . 464, 465. Klipfontein. 

 Indistinguishable from Cape specimens. 

 " ' Ratel ' of the Dutch, 



" Not uncommon. The two specimens were secured in an old 

 ant-bear hole on the sandy flats close to Anenous." — 0. H. B. G. 



15. Graphiurus ocularis Smith. 



2. 417, 486. Klipfontein. 



These specimens represent the Grcqjhiurus elegans of Ogilby*, of 

 which the type was collected by Capt. Alexander in Damaraland. 



The tail is rather whiter than that of the Cape form, and the 

 animals may perhaps hereafter prove subspecifically separable, in 

 which case they would bear the name of G. ocularis elegans. 



" ' Gemsbok-muis ' of the Dutch. 



" Rare, possibly frequenting all rocky places, as in the Karoo. 

 Exclusively nocturnal. Where these two specimens were caught, 

 traps were kept set for some weeks, but yielded no further 

 results."— C. H. B. G. 



16. Desmodillus auricularis Smith. 



Gerhillus auricidaris Smith, S. Afi-. Quart. Journ, ii. p. 160 

 (1834). 



JJesmodillus (g. n.) auricularis Thomas &, Schwann, Abstr. 

 P. Z. S. 1904, no. 2, p. 6 (Feb. 9th). 



5 . 458. Anenous. 



A topotype of the species, which was described by Smith 

 from a specimen captui-ed by him in " the mountains of Little 

 Kamaqualand . ' ' 



This Gei'bille has been vaiioxisly regarded as a true Gerbillus 



* P. Z. S. 1838, p. 6. 

 Proc. Zool. Soc— 1904, Vol. I. No. XII. 12 



