﻿MAMMALS FROM THE NILE DELTA REGION, EGYPT — SETZER 345 



Family SORICIDAE 



CROCIDURA OLIVIERI (Lesson) 



Sorex oUvieri Lesson, Manuel de mammalogie . . ., p. 121, 1827 (Saqqara Pyra- 

 mids, Giza Province, Egypt, as a mummy). 



Specimen examined. — One. Giza Province: Talbia. 



Description. — Entire upper parts Front's Brown, shading rather 

 rapidly on the lower sides to dark gray, which covers the entire 

 ventral surface ^vith the exception of a small patch of brownish hairs 

 on the throat; tail of uniform color around and finely covered with 

 long whitish hairs; dorsal surfaces of hands and feet grayish, shad- 

 ing to white on the digits ; palms and soles naked. Ears large, nearly 

 naked and with a pronounced fold on the ventral surface; tail more 

 than half the length of head and body. Scent gland, lying immedi- 

 ately anterior to flank and between the dark dorsal and light ventral 

 colors, conspicuous and covered with short "svhitish hairs. 



Measurements. — No external measurements were available but the 

 skull of an adult male from Talbia, Giza Province, measured : Greatest 

 length 29.0; occipitonasal length 26.4; greatest width of braincase 

 12.5 ; least interorbital width 5.5 ; length of palate 12.0 ; width across 

 M- 9.3 ; length of tooth row (incisor to M^) 12.8 ; width of rostrum 3.6. 



CROCIDUBA FLOWERI Dollman 



This species is known from Giza and Beltim. It is apparently rare 

 and hard to obtain. It differs from Crocidura olivien in smaller 

 size (head and body 57-71 mm. as opposed to 93-110 mm. in G. 

 olivieri) . No specimens have been examined. 



CROCIDURA RELIGIOSA I. GeofFroy St.-Hilaire 



This is the smallest Crocidura to be found in the Nile Delta. It 

 apparently is fairly common in the Giza Gardens and in the country 

 near Abu Rauwash. The head and body range from 45 to 55 mm. 

 in length, thus separating this species from the other, larger, species 

 of Crocidura known to occur in the same general area. No specimens 

 have been examined. 



SUNCUS CRASSICAUDUS Lichtenstein 



Despite efforts of several collectors to retake this species in Suez 

 and Suakin, Sudan, it has not been found. It is thought that it is 

 probably the same animal as the Suncus found along the coastal re- 

 gion of India and that the individuals known from North Africa 

 are merely fortuitous travelers come ashore from some trading ves- 

 sel. It may be distinguished, if ever retaken, from specimens of the 



