244 On the small Sand-Foxes of North Africa. 



species not occurring further north. Thus Schinz's Dongola 

 is only applicable to the famelicua. 



Furthermore, while the description given of the colours is 

 equally applicable to either, the statement " Schwanz langer 

 als der Korper " is quite decisive of the question, for, while 

 the tail is about the length of the body iwfamelicus, it is quite 

 conspicuously shorter in pallidas, as is shown by lluppell's 

 measurements of the specimens described. 



I feel, therefore, so sure of this conclusion that I propose 

 to call the larger species, with long white-tipped tail, Vulpes 

 ruppelli, in place of V. famelica, leaving pallida for the 

 smaller species with short black-tipped tail. 



And it would appear from de Win ton that earlier authors 

 have come to the same conclusion, 'although they have not 

 seen the necessity of superseding fa melicus byriippelli. The 

 Somali form of rilppelli is subspecifically distinguished below. 



Next comes V. dorsalis, Gray, from Senegal, placed in this 

 group by de Winton, who synonymizes Rochebrune's V. ed- 

 wardsi with it. 



The type of dorsalis is a mere puppy } but by extracting 

 the germ of its first upper molar I am able to form a judg- 

 ment as to where the species belongs. This tooth is no less 

 than 10 mm. in antero-posterior length, which shows at once 

 that the animal is not one of these small foxes at all, but 

 would have attained the size of one of the large true foxes. 

 It is therefore probably related to V. nilotica and atlantica. 

 The corresponding measurement in ruppelli is rarely 8 mm., 

 and in pallida 7-7*3 mm. 



As a consequence, Rochebrune's V. edivardsi will be valid 

 as a name for the small Senegal fox, which I believe to be a 

 local subspecies of V. pallida; and I should provisionally refer 

 the Nigerian fox to the same western subspecies. 



The following seems worthy of a special subspecific 

 name : — 



Vnlpes ruppelli Somalia), subsp. n. 



Size and other essential characters as in true ruppelli, but 

 the back greyer, the median dorsal line less prominent and 

 less strongly ochraceous, while the area on each side of it is 

 more definitely grey — even blue-grey. Fur rather shorter 

 and coarser, without the extreme softness characteristic of the 

 Egyptian animal. 



Dimensions of type. (measured in the flesh) : — 

 Head and body 445 mm.; tail 345; hind foot 120; 

 ear 100. 



