208 



U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 2 75 



It is interesting to note that apparently house mice are absent from 

 several of the large oases of southern Cyrenaica, such as Tazerbo and 

 Bzema. Suitable habitat occurs in these isolated oases, but, unlike 

 Cufra Oasis, they are far removed from the caravan routes and have 

 relatively few outside visitors; thus, the introduction of commensals 

 has probably never taken place. 



Genus Acomys Geoffroy 



Acomys cahirinus viator Thomas 



Acomys viator Thomas, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, pt. 2, p. 10, 1902 (Wadi Sultan, 

 near Socna, Tripolitania, Libya). 



General distribution of species. Libya, Egypt, and Algeria, and 

 range probably includes additional countries and provinces of the 

 Sahara. 



Distribution in Libya. This species is known from only the type 

 locality near Socna, Tripolitania Province, and from the oases of El 

 Barcat, Fezzan Province, and El Giof (Cufra Oasis), Cyrenaica 

 Province. 



Figure 46. — Distribution of Acomys cahirinus viator. 



