RODENTS OF LIBYA 249 



Published records in Libya. Cyrenaica: Mechili (Festa, 

 1925); El Agheila (de Beaux, 1932); Zauia Mechili (de Beaux, 1938). 



Measurements. The measurements of two adult males, 302294 

 and 302295, and an adult female, 302293, from the above locality, 

 are, respectively: Total length ?, 295, 293, length of tail ?, 179, 176; 

 length of hind foot 57, 59, 58; length of ear 42, 44, 43; greatest length 

 of skull 32, 32.3, 31.6; condyloincisive length of skull 29.4, 29.9, 

 29.1; crown length of upper molariform toothrow 5.9, 6, 5.9; greatest 

 breadth across anterior zygomatic processes 22.2, 22.5, 21.5; least 

 interorbital breadth 9.8, 9.8, 10.2; length of nasals 11.4, ?, 11.1; 

 breadth of rostrum at level of antorbital foramina 5.5, 5.6, 5.7; 

 greatest breadth of braincase 18.9, 19, 18.9. 



Diagnosis. Dorsum generally dark (Drab) becoming lighter 

 (Cinnamon) on rump; entire dorsum strongly suffused with grayish 

 hairs and appearing uniformly variegated, the latter becoming more 

 pronounced on sides owing to a blending of white and blackish hairs; 

 flanks, preauricular, subauricular, and pectoral areas Cinnamon- 

 Buff; distinct Light Buff patch between eye and base of ear; mystacial, 

 suborbital, and circumoral areas Pale Ochraceous-Salmon; vibrissae 

 relatively short and uniformly colored Mummy Brown; ears very large; 

 base of pinna Pinkish Cinnamon grading to Drab on sparsely haired 

 distal and medial portion; internal face of pinna lacking hair and Dark 

 Olive; forefeet sparsely haired and white dorsally, heavily furred 

 ventrally with sole and metatarsal area Bister and bearing three 

 primary digits with claws and one rudimentary digit and claw applied 

 to metatarsus; tail Sayal Brown dorsally, becoming slightly lighter 

 ventrally and with terminal pinna, transversely bicolored dark brown 

 proximally and white distally; entire underparts white. Skull: Small 

 and compact; braincase, particularly the parietals, markedly inflated, 

 sloping markedly anteriorly from coronal suture to front margins of 

 nasals; medial portions of frontals forming a distinct depression in 

 median line; squamous portion of temporal projecting markedly laterad 

 thus rendering a "bowed" appearance to zygomata; zygomata rela- 

 tively fragile and markedly convergent anteriorly; antorbital processes 

 reduced; lachrymals relatively large; infraorbital foramina relatively 

 large; rostrum wide; upper incisors small and short; upper molars 

 large and directed laterad; small rudimentary premolar applied to 

 anterior surface of first upper molar; anterior palatine foramina large 

 and markedly expanded posteriorly; pterygoid hamulae heavy and 

 knobbed; posterior palatine canal large and elongated; palate heavy, 

 with distinct spine directed caudad; auditory bullae markedly small 

 and but little inflated; basioccipital wide, occiptal condyles and 

 jugular processes large; mandible large and bearing a deep fossa on 



285-134 O— 68 17 



