RODENTS OF LIBYA 125 



1 



Figure 24. — Statistical comparison of length of nasals of the subspecies of Gerbillus pyra- 

 midum. Notation remains the same as in figure 22. 



Key to the Species of the Subgenus Dipodillus 



1. Occipitonasal length less than 23 mm G. henleyi 



Occipitonasal length more than 23 mm 2 



2. Tail less than 90 mm; without terminal brush and unicolorous . . G. kaiseri 

 Tail more than 90 mm; with prominent terminal brush and bicolored ... 3 



3. Occipitonasal length less than 27 mm; auditory bullae large and markedly 



inflated ventrally, anterior palatine foramina relatively short . G. amoenus 

 Occipitonasal length more than 27 mm; auditory bullae small and not markedly 

 inflated ventrally; anterior palatine foramina relatively long. 



G. campestris 

 Gerbillus amoenus vivax (Thomas) 



Dipodillus vivax Thomas, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, vol. 2, pt. 1, p. 8, October 1902 

 (Sebha, Fezzan Province, Libya). 



General distribution of species. Egypt, Libya, and probably 

 Tunisia, Algeria, and Mauritania. 



Distribution in Libya. Desert areas of Tripolitania and the 

 Fezzan. In Cyrenaica known from the littoral deserts near the Gulf of 

 Sirte, from Gialo Oasis, and the Gebel el Harug el Asued. 



Specimens examined. Eighty-eight, from Cyrenaica: 5 km W El 

 Agheila, 2; Gialo Oasis, 4; Gebel el Harug el Asued, 200 km SE Zella, 

 3; from Tripolitania: 12 km W Zliten, 2; 12 km W Sirte, 1 ; 2 km SW 

 Hun, 1 ; 5 km S Socna, 3; from Fezzan: Edri, 11 ; El Abiad, 8 (2 skull 

 only); Goddua, 15 (1 skin only, 12 skull only); Meseguin, 2; 6 km N 

 Murzuch, 6; 28 km E Murzuch, 3; 20 km N Ghat, 1; Ghat, 16; El 

 Gatrun, 4; El Barcat, 6. 



Published records in Libya. Cyrenaica: Gheminez (Festa, 

 1921); Augila, Cufra, Gialo (de Beaux, 1932); Tripolitania: Ain 

 Hammam (Thomas, 1902); El Gheddahia (Toschi, 1951); Fezzan: 

 Sebha (Thomas, 1902); Ghat (Toschi, 1951). 



