. Cassell's natural history. Animals; Animal behavior. lUE DEGU. T!;e hind limbs are not disproportionately de\'eloped, and both they and the fore feet are nearly always furnished with five toes, armed with curved claws; and the clavicles are perfect. The ears are generally short and sparingly hairy, and the tail, which is of various lengths, is either clad with short hairs, or naked and scaly. We may begin with two African species of this generally American family, which have the two inner claws of the liind feet furnished with comb-like fringes of liorny bristles, whence the name of Ctenocla
. Cassell's natural history. Animals; Animal behavior. lUE DEGU. T!;e hind limbs are not disproportionately de\'eloped, and both they and the fore feet are nearly always furnished with five toes, armed with curved claws; and the clavicles are perfect. The ears are generally short and sparingly hairy, and the tail, which is of various lengths, is either clad with short hairs, or naked and scaly. We may begin with two African species of this generally American family, which have the two inner claws of the liind feet furnished with comb-like fringes of liorny bristles, whence the name of Ctenoclactylus has been applied to the best known species. These two species, which exhibit strong affinities to the Jerboas, form the sub-family The GtUNDI (Cteno- iliii-tijlus M(wsoni) has only three molars on each side in each jaw, and only four toes upon each foot. It is an animal about the size of tJie Water Rat, but with a mere stump of a tail, very small ears, very long whiskers, and the hind limbs rather longer than their fellows. It lives in North Africa, chiefly on the borders of the Sahara, where it takes up its abode in the rocky hills, and descends therefrom to the cultivated grounds to feast upon the growing corn. It is diurnal in its habits, but shy and watchful, making off to its fastnesses at the least appearance of danger. I'fctinator Spekei, a species named after its discoverer, the celebrated African traveller, is nearly i-elated to the preceding, but has a small additional molar in each series. The tail is of moderate length, and bushy, and the ears have a small antitragiis. It inhabits the Somali land in the interior of North-eastern Africa. The Degu {Octodoii Cumitigii), a very abundant species in C'liili, which also extends into Perw, may be taken as a typical example of the whole family, and also of its typical sub-famUy <), in wluch the molars ai-e simply indented on each side. The fur is soft, and the tail is short.
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