i 3 o THE MAMMALS OF ETHIOPIAN AFRICA 



(A. peli), from the Gold Coast, in which the upper parts are black, with 

 the lateral and posterior margins of the hind half of the flying membrane, 

 the soles of the hind feet, and the whole of the bushy tail white ; the under surface 

 of the body being whitish grey. The entire length is about 36 inches, of which 

 18 are taken up by the tail, inclusive of the terminal hair. In its colouring 

 this species recalls the black-and-white Guereza monkeys ; and probably, like 

 the latter, frequents trees clothed with long, pendent white lichens. Also from 

 West Africa is the still more remarkable long-tailed scaly-tail (Idiurus zenkeri), a 

 mouse-like species alone representing a genus characterised, among other features, 

 by the great length of the tail, of which only the tip is bushy. 



Exclusively Ethiopian is the group of ground, or spiny, squirrels, 



members of the family Sciuridce, characterised by their harsh, bristly 

 fur, the small size or absence of ears, and the comparatively slight curvature of the 

 claws. One of the numerous species is the Abyssinian spiny squirrel (Xcrus 

 rutilus), which lives either in the clefts of rocks or in burrows of its own 

 construction. Of the approximate size of an ordinary squirrel, it is uniform 

 yellowish red in colour, with barely visible ears, and associates in parties of five 

 or six. 



St. Paul's squirrel (Funisciurus pauli), from the Usambara and Tanga 

 districts of East Africa, may be taken as a good representative of another exclusively 

 African genus, and is specially characterised by the brilliancy of its colouring 

 which well-nigh rivals that of some of the Malay species. F. poensis, typically 

 from Fernando Po, but also found on the mainland from Liberia to the Gabun, 

 is another member of the same group. On the other hand, the red-bellied squirrel 

 (Heliosciurus rufobrachiatus) and Stanger's squirrel (H. stangeri) of the west 

 coast are well-known representatives of a second genus. Typically from the east 

 coast, the first-named species ranges right across Africa, but has been divided into 

 several local races, such as H. r. libericus, H. r. ruwensorii, and H. r. pasha, the 

 last of which is from Monbuttu. 



Very distinct is the pigmy squirrel (Nannosciurus minutus) of the Gabun, 

 which differs from its Malay relatives by having one pair less of premolar teeth 

 in each, so that the total number of cheek-teeth is -J- instead of f pairs. On 

 account of this slight difference, it has been proposed to separate the African 

 pigmy squirrel from its Malay cousins as Myosciurus. 



Africa has no representatives of the flying representatives of the Sciv/ridce, 

 nor of the large Indo-Malay squirrels of the genus Rattifa, so that its squirrel 

 fauna is of a very peculiar and characteristic type. 



The dormouse family (Gliridce) is well represented in Ethiopian 



Africa, the genus Oraphiurus, characterised by its feather-like tail, 

 of which the Cape G. ocularis is one of the largest representatives, being restricted 

 to this part of the world. 



Very brief mention must suffice for the mouse and rat family 



(Muridce), of which there are a considerable number of genera peculiar 

 to the region under consideration. In addition to the presence of this group of 

 genera it is of importance to note the absence from this region of the short-tailed 

 field-mice (Microtus and Evotomys) of the northern continents. The peculiar 



