1846.2 Rough Notes on the Zoology of Candahar. 137 



toba, look at the animal's feet ; do you not perceive the similitude to 

 your own ?" And he then proceeded seriously to inform me, that once 

 upon a time, there lived a race of men so exceedingly wicked, that 

 God at length laid his curse upon them and changed their forms to that 

 of the porcupine, obliterating all trace of the human form divine, except 

 the feet, which were left to mark the accursed and fallen race, and to 

 serve as a warning to other evil doers. The hollow quills which form 

 a tuft on the tail, are said, by the marvel-loving vulgar, to be used for the 

 purpose of carrying a supply of water, but how the animal is to make 

 use of the same is not stated ; their true use, however, appears to be to 

 give warning of approaching danger, and to alarm an assailant, as they 

 emit a loud rattling noise when shaken. — " Sahee" of India. 24 



No. 22. [Alactaga acontium, (Pallas) : A. indica, 25 Gray, An. and 

 Mag. Nat. Hist. Vol. X, 262]. The Jerboa. This beautiful little animal 

 is abundant over all the stony plains throughout the country, burrowing 

 deeply, and when unearthed, bounding away with most surprising agility 

 after the manner of the Kangaroo. It was known throughout the 

 army by the name of the Kangaroo-rat. They are easily tamed, and 

 live happily enough in confinement if furnished with plenty of room to 

 leap about. They sleep all day, and so soundly, that they may be taken 

 from their cage and examined without awaking them, or at most they 

 will half-open one eye in a drowsy manner for an instant, and immedi- 

 ately close it again in sleep. The Afghans call it " Khanee." It retires 

 to its burrow about the end of October, and remains dormant till the 

 following April when it throws off its lethargy and again comes forth. 

 It is doubtless the " desert rat," mentioned by my friend the late Cap- 

 tain Arthur Conolly, in his Overland Journey to India, (page 54, Vol. 1.) 



No. 23. Gerbillus Indicus. The Indian Gerbil. 26 



24. The species of Hystrix, as the genus is now limited, are greatly in need of eluci- 

 dation ; I am of opinion, that several are at present confounded under H. cristata 

 and H. leucura, and I have been endeavouring for some time past to collect more 

 extensive data for determining those of India. The Afghanistan species, as figured by 

 Burnes, has a black crest, and a much longer tail than the true cristata, or than either 

 of the Indian species with which I am at present acquainted, which latter are at least 

 two, if not three, in number. — Cur. As. Soc. 



25. It certainly does not occur in " India."— Cur. As. Soc, 



26. Two species of Indian Gerbils have been indicated, but their distinctions are by no 

 means satisfactorily made out. Mr. Waterhouse, in Proc. Zool. Soc. 1838, p. 56, has 

 endeavoured to characterize a G. Cuvieri, with tarse an inch and three-quarters long, 

 though smaller than a specimen of G. indicus, in which the tarse measured but one 



