12 ■ FAUNA AND FLORA OF PALESTINE. 



The Hamster is very common in the neighbourhood of cultivated 

 ground, attaclcing especially beans and lentils. It is known from Russia 

 east of the Volga, and throughout Northern Persia and Armenia. 



43. Cricctus nigricans, Brandt. Bull. Acad. Peters, i. 42. 

 This Caucasian species was found by Dr. Roth near Lebanon. 



44. Cricctus auratus. Watcrh. Ann. and Mag. N.H. 1839, iv. 445. 



I have frequently seen a large light-coloured Hamster about bushes, 

 and making its escape from wild palms; but I never secured it. It can- 

 not be mistaken for the much smaller C. phants, and can be none other 

 than this species, first described from Aleppo, and well known from Syria. 

 I have seen specimens in the museum at Beyrout. 



45. Ncsokia. Sp. (?) 



I obtained one specimen of a Ncsokia, now in the British Museum. 

 Mr. O. Thomas does not assign it positively to any of the Indian species, 

 and in the absence of more examples hesitates to describe it as new. 

 If distinct, it is not far removed from Nesokia hardwickii, Gray. 



SUB-FAMILY, MERIONINI. 



46. Gcrbilliis tcTniurus. Wagn. Schreb. Siiugth. iii. 471. 



Found on Mount Carmel, and in the hill country generally. It is 

 peculiar, so far as is yet known, to Syria. 



47. Gcrbilliis niclanurus. Riipp. Mus. Senkcnb. iii. 95. 



In the Jordan valley and Dead Sea basin. An Abyssinian species, 

 found also throughout Arabia Petra^a. 



48. Gcrbillns pygargus. Wagn. Schreb. Siiugth. iii. 475. 



Occasionally met with in the southern wilderness. Found also in 

 Egypt and Nubia. 



49. Psanimomys obesns. Riipp. Atlas, p. 58, tab. 22, 23. 

 Extremely abundant in sandy places about the Dead Sea, and also in 



the plains and uplands of Southern Judea. 



