GERBILLUS AFER.— Gray. 
Mammalia. — Plate XXXV. 
G capite, dorso, lateribus superne extremitatibusque extern^ versus corpus cinereo-isabellinis; capite, dorso, 
lateribusque superne brunneo - penicillatis ; partibus inferioribus artibusque interne albis ; oculis 
brunneis ; capite antieb attenuato ; vellere in capite rigido et breve, in corpore longiore et laevigato. 
Longitudo ab apice nasi ad basin caudse 6| unc. ; cauda? 5^ unc. 
Gerbillus Afer, Gray, Spicilegia Zoologica, p. 10 ; 1828. 
Meriones Schlegelli, Smuts, Dissert. Zoolog. enum. Mam. Capen. p. 41 ; 1830. 
Gerbillus Africanus, F. Cuvier, Transactions of the Zoological Society, vol. ii., p. 143; 1836. 
Colour, &c.— The ground colour of the head, the back, the upper portions 
of the sides, and the outer surface of the extremities towards the body inter- 
mediate between reddish orange and wood-brown, the head, back and 
higher parts of sides pencilled with deep umber-brown ; the hairs towards their 
roots dull lavender-purple ; tail coloured like the back, only not so ree j 
pencilled. The lower parts of the sides, the belly, the chin, the throat, and 
the inner surface of the limbs towards the body white ; the line of demarcation 
between the superior and inferior colours of the sides clearly defined. Tarsi 
rusty white. Ears internally a light flesh colour, except towards the margin, 
where there is a thin sprinkling of hair of a light umber-brown tint; 
externally they are thinly coated with hair of the same colour as that on the 
back. Eyes deep brown ; claws of hinder feet towards their points horn- 
coloured, towards their base wood-brown, which is also the colour of the claws 
of the fore feet. Incisor teeth of upper jaw white, of lower jaw pale reddish 
orange. , 
Form, &c. — Figure slightly robust, and moderately elongated ; head ratiiei 
lengthened, broad posteriorly, attenuated anteriorly, the point of the nose 
subacute. Eyes large ; ears long, patulous, and ovate ; whiskers long and 
rather rigid ; fore legs short ; hinder legs long, the claws of both, but more 
esnecially of the fore ones, elongated, slightly curved, and moderately strong ; 
those of the fore feet are blunt, laterally compressed, and convex above; 
those of the hinder feet vertically compressed and sharp pointed. The fur 
mverino- the centre of the face and the forehead rather short and rigid, that 
of the other parts of the head, the body, and the extremities above the tarsi, 
Ion- soft, and recumbent; the hair of the tarsi, toes, and tail short, w.ry and 
so closely set, as to form a continuous covering. 
