74 
Annals of the Transvaal Museum. 
70. Amblysomus obtusirostris , (Ptrs.). 
1 (J, Coguno (Grant). 
71. Ghrysospalax Trevelyani , (Gunther). 
1 15, Pirie Forest (Stenning). 
3 (J, 2 $, Port St. Johns (Swinny and Shortridge). 
) 
72. Ghrysospalax praterisis, spec. nov. 
Of about the same size as G. villosa , but rufous coloured in place of 
grey-brown. 
Hair of the whole upper surface of body and sides grey-brown for the 
basal half, th§ terminal half being brownish-red, with the extreme tips 
purple ; on the sides, the brownisli-red colour is replaced by whitish. 
Fore part of the head greyer than the back, with the base of the hairs buff, 
which colour is clearer on the lips and extends in a well-defined line down 
the throat. The reddish colour of the upper surface becomes almost 
obsolete on the sides of the throat, breast, and a patch at the sides of the 
abdomen : but on the abdomen itself is very conspicuous owing indeed to 
the base of the hair being reddish. Feet, variegated brown. Type : 
old <J, taken at Pretoria on 21st January, 1913. “ H. and B. 175, hind 
foot 17.” Skull : greatest leng. 36 mm., bas. leng. 25, gr. br. 24*2, inter, 
orb. br. 7*7, dent. ser. 14*3, molar ser. 9*1, br. at molars 11 ’4. 
This species was discovered at the end of December, 1912, at Wakker- 
stroom ; but as the only old £ with all the most marked characters present 
taken at that place has an incomplete skull, owing apparently to an 
accident in youth, I have thought it advisable to take a Pretoria specimen 
as the type. Five specimens which were skinned at Wakkeistroom are all 
somewhat lighter coloured than the type, but a sixth, which was kept 
alive for a fortnight and then preserved in spirits, was dark coloured, 
presisely like the two from Pretoria. Two $$ from Wakkerstroom are the 
lightest coloured in the series, and considerably smaller, as might be 
expected ; their skulls are of about the same length as that recorded 
by Broom for a $ specimen of G. villosa. Unfortunately, I have no speci- 
men of that species for comparison, and cannot now state whether any 
cranial differences exist between the two species. 
The habits of this species are peculiar : for instead of making regular 
rows of mounds as does G. hottentottus , it leaves its burrows open and 
comes out in search of food upon the surface of the ground. Its burrows 
are usually situated near large mounds, underneath which the earth is 
intersected by passages leading off in different directions and no doubt 
form the regular home of a number of individuals. At night, after rains, 
it roots about on the surface of the ground after the fashion of pigs. Two 
young are born at a time, and to accommodate them a large round 
chamber is made a few inches under the surface of the ground, filled with 
grass and so surrounded with passages running in various directions as 
well as downwards, that in case of intrusion from the single open entrance 
the occupants can easily escape by burrowing through the thin surround- 
ing sides of the chamber. The presence of a nest is usually indicated by 
a small mound of earth thrown up close to the chamber, the boles at 
ordinary times being left open. The breeding season is probably affected 
by the rains, the specimens taken at Wakkerstroom being gravid shortly 
after rains had set in. The first specimen I saw of this species was one 
caught by my mother at Belfast in January, 1909 ; but the skull was 
unfortunately thrown away by the Kaffir servant, and it was only after 
