188 



U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 2 75 



I was unsuccessful in obtaining additional specimens of P. vexillaris, 

 but after reexamination of the single specimen collected by Setzer 

 from the Wadi Bey, its specific status is unequivocal in my opinion. 



Psammomys obesus Cretzschmar 



Psammomys obesus Cretzschmar, Riippell Atlas, 58, pi. 22, 1828 (near Alexandria, 

 Egypt) . 



General distribution of species. Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, 

 Egypt, Sudan, Libya, and Algeria. 



Distribution in Libya. Coastal plain and littoral deserts of 

 Cyrenaica and Tripolitania. The range in Libya is doubtless much 

 wider than the few collecting records indicate. 



Distribution of the subspecies in Libya. 



Psammomys obesus obesus. Cyrenaica: Coastal plain of north- 

 eastern Cyrenaica. 



Psammomys obesus tripolitanus. Cyrenaica and Tripolitania: 

 Coastal plain and littoral deserts of the Gulf of Sirte. 



Published records in Libya. Cyrenaica: Bou Cheifa (Thomas, 

 1902 [Psammomys tripolitanus]); El Agheila (de Beaux, 1932 [Psam- 



Psammomys obesus 



I. obesus 



2 tripolitanus 

 Psammomys vexillaris 



3. vexillaris 



Figure 41. — Distribution of Psammomys obesus and Psammomys vexillaris. 



