. Cassell's natural history. Animals; Animal behavior. NATURJ-L niSTORY. THE Tlie Mozambique coast produces another species of this family, agreeing with those just noticed early all its characters, but of much lai-ger size, and further distinguished from them by having only four toes on each hind foot. The first toe, which is pushed fai- back, and consider- ably reduced in size in the Elephant Shi-ews, is entirely deficient in the Petrodrome. While the Macroscelides generally live in the plains, among grass and under bushes, the Petrodrome, as its name implies, prefers localiti
. Cassell's natural history. Animals; Animal behavior. NATURJ-L niSTORY. THE Tlie Mozambique coast produces another species of this family, agreeing with those just noticed early all its characters, but of much lai-ger size, and further distinguished from them by having only four toes on each hind foot. The first toe, which is pushed fai- back, and consider- ably reduced in size in the Elephant Shi-ews, is entirely deficient in the Petrodrome. While the Macroscelides 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 Lucluied to bite. The natives at Tette call it Sdro. THE Besides the species of Macroscelides already mentioned, and the Petrodrome, the coast of Mozambique has another animal «liich is leferred to this family, although it ])resents several characters which sej)aratf it \-(r\- decidedly from all the rest. It was fii'st described by Professor Peters under the name of lihynchocyon, 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 veiy rare animal in collections, apjjears from the description and figui-e of Professor Peters to be a qiieei'-looking beast. It measures inches in length, exclusive of the tail, which is rather long, tapering, and rat-like, being a ringed skin, and furnished with only a few scattered hairs. The muzzle is produced PETEODROME about eight covered witl. into a veiy long movable snout. The fur is of a rusty-brown colour, with a tinge about t!i: ears and the back of the head, and some light reddish spots on the hinder pai-t of the b
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjecta, booksubjectanimals
