306 
THE MAMMALS OF EGYPT. 
slightly concave internally; the inner toe is slightly shorter than the outer. At 
the base of the proximal phalanx of the middle toe there is a minute white tubercle. 
From the side of each toe to the base of each phalanx a brush of long white hairs is 
directed forwards, so that the foot is a regular brush, the only portion that is bare 
being the fronts of the toe-pads and the restricted area immediately around the minute 
tubercle in the centre of the hairy foot. The metatarsal area is moderately covered 
with white hairs, which come towmrds each other along the outer surface of the meta¬ 
tarsal bone. The lower half of the tibial joint is also very sparsely covered with 
short hairs. 
The snout generally, with the exception of the limited bare surface of the nose and 
the narrow groove leading downwards to the cleft of the incisors, is densely covered 
wuth white hairs, shorter and directed forwards on the middle of the snout, much 
longer and directed outwards and forwards on the sides. Behind them are the 
moustachial hairs, generally all white, with the exception of a few black ones. The 
most posterior of the moustachial hairs is very thick at its base, a true bristle, and 
springs from a prominent papillary eminence; it is generally as long as the body of the 
animal and is pure w'hite. 
General colour of the dorsal surface pale sandy fawn, the hairs being finely tipped 
with black, more heavily towurds the loins, while on the head the black tips are 
exceedingly minute. On this dorsal area, which stops short of the root of the tail, the 
base of the fur is bluish grey ; on the sides, the rump, and all the lower parts of the 
head and body, wuth the exception of the outside of the thighs, the base of the fur is 
pure white. The fawn-colour does not extend on to the moustachial area, nor between 
it and the eye, nor above and below the eye, all of which are white ; but behind the 
eye there is more or less fawn, and the hair is grey basally, but posterior to this on 
the sides of the body the extreme points of the fur only are washed with fawn, with 
almost microscopic black tips ; on the outside of the thighs, w^here the fur is grey at the 
base, the fawn is stronger ; the base of the tail and all the rump are pure white, and a 
white band is directed forwards across the thigh. The under parts, the fore limbs, and 
the feet are pure white. The outside of the ears is sparsely covered with short hairs. 
The anterior margin of the ear at the base of the conch is clad with moderately long 
hairs for the protection of the orifice. The skin of the upper half of the conch, 
externally, is pale brown, but the low^er half is fleshy white, and there is a tuft 
of white hairs behind the ear. The tail is more or less quadrangular in transverse 
section, and is densely covered on the upper surface, for three-quarters of its length, 
with short yellowish-fawn hairs, the under surface being nearly white. The longer 
hair, sagittally arranged, is pure white for about 30 mm. at the extremity of the tail, 
the proximal portion of this feathei’-like tip being blackish brown for about 45 mm. 
