NATURAL HISTORY OF AFRICA. 443 
borbonicus and nigrita, are peculiar to tbis conti- 
nent. 
Several of the squirrel, or sciurus tribe, occur in 
Africa, and the following species are considered as 
peculiar to it : 
Sciurus getulus 
setosus 
Abyssinicus 
ater. 
Of the mouse tribe, many species are enume- 
rated amongst the animals of this continent. 
The black rat (mus rattus) and the common 
mouse (mus musculus) are abundant ; but one of 
the most remarkable of the whole tribe is covered 
with hair and spines, somewhat like the porcupine, 
and appears to be nearly allied to the rat epineua; 
of Azara. 
Four species of hare (lepus) are described as pe- 
culiar to Africa, viz. 
Lepus iEgypticus 
capensis 
2. species capensis. 
Some authors mention the common hare as a 
native of Northern Africa ; but it is probable they 
may have confounded the Egyptian hare (lepus 
iEgypticus) with it. 
The crested porcupine occurs in Africa ; but 
hitherto no species of this genus have been ascer- 
tained to be peculiar to this quarter of the globe. 
