SYRIAN HYRAX. 



221 



jecting, and being open before, affords a long 

 retreat under it, without fear that this can ever 

 be removed by the strength or operations of man. 

 The Ashkoko are gregarious, and frequently se- 

 veral dozens of them sit upon the great stones at 

 the mouth of caves^ and warm themselves in the 

 sun, or even come out and enjoy the freshness of 

 the summer evening. They do not stand upright 

 upon their feet, but seem to steal along as in fear, 

 their belly being nearly close to the ground, ad- 

 vancing a few steps at a time, and then pausing. 

 They have something very mild, feeble, and timid, 

 in their deportment ; are gentle and easily tamed, 

 though, when roughly handled at the first, they 

 bite very severely. 



This animal is found plentifully on Mount 

 Libanus. I have seen him also among the rocks 

 at the Pharan Promontorium, or Cape Mahomet, 

 which divides the Elanitic from the Pleroopolitic 

 Gulf, or Gulf of Suez. In all places they seem 

 to be the same ; if there is any difference it is in 

 favour of the size and fatness which those in the 

 Mountain of the Sun seem to enjoy, above the 

 others. What is his food I cannot determine 

 with any degree of certainty. When in my 

 possession, he ate bread and milk, and seemed 

 to be rather a moderate than voracious feeder. 

 I suppose he lives on grain, fruit, and roots. He 

 seemed too timid and backward in his own nature 

 to feed upon living food, or catch it by hunting. 



" The total length of this animal, as he sits, 

 from the point of his nose to the extremity of his 



