352 
NATURAL HISTORY 
THE PETRODROME.'’ 
The Mozambique coast produces another species of this family, agreeing with those just noticed 
in nearly all its characters, but of much larger size, and further distinguished from them by having 
only four toes on each hind foot. The first toe, which is pushed far back, and consider- 
ably reduced in size in the Elephant Shrews, is entirely deficient in the Petrodrome. 
While the MacTOScelid.es generally live in the plains, among grass and under 
bushes, the Petrodrome, as its name implies, prefers localities among the hills, where 
cavities and fissures in the rocks furnish it with a secure refuge. In three places where 
Professor Peters found it, this was the ease. It lives on insects. In captivity it soon 
becomes familiar, although at first shy, but never inclined to bite. The natives at 
Tette call it Sdro. 
THE RHYNCHOCYON.+ 
Besides the species of Macroscelides already mentioned, and the Petrodrome, the 
coast of Mozambique has another animal which is referred to this family, although it 
presents several characters which separate it very decidedly from all the rest. It was 
first described by Professor Peters under the name of Rhynchocyon, which means 
“ beaked dog,” although it must be confessed that there is nothing very dog-like about 
it. The name is in allusion to the large size of the canine teeth. 
The Rhynchocyon, which is a very rare animal in collections, appears from the 
description and figure of Professor Peters to be a queer-looking beast. It measures 
about eight inches in length, exclusive of the tail, which is rather long, tapering, and rat-like, being 
covered with a ringed skin, and furnished with only a few scattered hail’s. The muzzle is produced 
SOI E OF RIOUT 
HIM D FOOT OF 
PETRODROME. 
THE RHYNCHOCYON ( Half Natural Size). 
into a very long movable snout. The fur is of a rusty-brown colour, with a blackish tinge about the 
ears and the back of the head, and some light reddish spots on the hinder part of the back. 
Tliis animal, which is called Mutdu by the natives, lives in holes in the ground, from which it 
Petrodromus tetradactylus. 
+ Rhynchocyon Cernei . 
