﻿MAMMALS FROM THE NILE DELTA REGION, EGYPT — SETZER 367 



more frequently merely spotted; tail with faint suggestion of black 

 tip. Ears and eyes small ; tail about half as long as head and body. 



Measurements. — An adult male from Kuniessa, Giza Province, and 

 an adult female from 5 miles west of Simbillawein measured, respec- 

 tively: Total length 381, 330; length of tail 120, 92; length of hind 

 foot 47, 39 ; length of ear from notch — , 17 ; basilar length 46.7, 42.1 ; 

 canine to M^ 13.0, 12.0; breadth of rostrum across lacrimals 13.7, 11.2; 

 least interorbital width 8.5, 7.4; mastoid breadth 25.0, 20.9 ; zygomatic 

 breadth 27.7, 22.7. 



Remarks. — Apparently, in Egypt, this animal is more an inhabitant 

 of houses than it is of the countryside. All the specimens studied 

 were caught in buildings during rat-control programs. 



POECILICTIS LIBYCA (Hemprich and Ehrenberff) 



Mustela libyca Hempkich and Ehrenbekg, Symbolae physicae . . ., dec. 2, folio 

 k, p. 6, 1832 (Egypt). 



Specimen examined. — One. Giza Province: Cairo Area, Abu 

 Rauwash (MVZ). 



Description. — Colors of this animal are white and blackish brown. 

 White distributed on the body as small mystacial patches; a narrow 

 white ring occurs between the eyes and ears, then turning ventrad 

 around the point of the jaw and meeting on the bottom of the throat; 

 tip of ears white; base of a more or less lyre-shaped band of white 

 begins in back of the ears and behind the forehead stripe, the band 

 running posteriorly and somewhat lateroventrad to cross the flanks 

 and continue to the base of the tail ; inside this large lyre is a smaller 

 lyre-shaped band of white, which becomes closed at the base of the 

 tail; inside the loop of the median lyre is a more or less diamond- 

 shaped patch completely encircled by black and with a small black spot 

 in the center. The outermost lyre-shaped band continues onto the 

 dorsal surface of the tail to the tip and for approximately one-half the 

 ventral surface. The posterior ventral half of the tail has black-tipped 

 white hairs. Entire ventral surface covered with blackish brown hairs. 

 Ears small and rounded ; soles of hands and feet, with the exception of 

 the pads, haired ; eyes small. 



Measurements. — An adult male from Abu Rauwash measured: 

 Total length 388 ; length of tail 158 ; length of hind foot 43 ; condyloba- 

 sal length 53.6 ; length of palate 25.1 ; M^ to canine 18.1 ; breadth across 

 P* 18.5 ; width of zygomatic arches 33.5 ; width of rostrum 11.4; width 

 of cranial constriction behind postorbital processes 11.5 ; width across 

 bullae 31.1. 



Remarks. — This small mustelid is remarkably like the North Amer- 

 ican genus Spilogale in its markings. 



