THE CAPE MOLE-RAT 48 I 



the nostrils are small, aud the forehead but little expanded 

 between them. 



The genus Bathyergus contains but a single species, the Cape 

 ilole-Eat, which is found in Southern Africa ; it is of moderate 

 size, not exceeding a small Babbit in dimensions. On the 

 fore-limbs are exceedingly long claws, of which that borne by 

 the second finger is the longest, and the claw of the thumb the 

 shortest. The hind-feet have by no means such long claws. 

 The scratching and burrowing is naturally chiefly effected by the 

 fore-limbs. The small and large intestines are of equal length, 

 and each is rather more than six times the length of the caecum ; 

 in these measurements the present genus differs from the next. 



GeorhycMis. — Of this African genus there are about ten 

 species. The claws are not so long as in the last genus, but 

 there are, as in Bathyergus, four molar teeth on each half of 

 each jaw. The intestinal measurements in an example of G. 

 cwpensis were: small intestine, 25 inches; caecum, 4 inches; 

 large intestine, 15 inches. 



The genus Mi/osccdojix or Helipliobms (also with an African 

 range) has six back teeth on each side. A number of species 

 sometimes referred to the last genus are placed here by Mr. 

 Thomas. The claws are small. 



One of the most remarkable genera of this family is the little 

 Heterocephaliis from Abyssinia and Somaliland. As Mr. Thomas 

 justly remarks,^ it " is a peculiar-looking little creature, about the 

 size of the Common Mouse, but looking almost more like a tiny 

 hairless puppy on account of its nearly naked skin, small eyes, 

 and peculiar physiognomy." Though apparently naked, there are 

 numerous scattered hairs over the entire body, and the toes are 

 fringed with stiffish hairs, which must be advantageous to a 

 burrowing animal. There are two species, H. glaber (originally 

 described by Eiippell), and H. phillipsii, of which our knowledge 

 is due to Mr. Thomas. The length of the entire creature in- 

 cluding the tail is not more than 134 mm., both species being 

 approximately of the same dimensions. Mr. Lort Phillips, the 

 discoverer of the species which bears his name, writes " that this 

 little creature, called ' Farumfer ' by the Somali, throws up in 

 places groups of miniature craters, which exactly resemble 

 volcanoes in active eruption. When the little beasts were at 



^ "Notes on the Rodent genus Hcterocephalus," Proc. Zool. Soc. 1885, p. 845. 

 VOL. X 2 I 



