282 EXTINCT AND VANISHING MAMMALS 



but brownish on the cheeks, hind feet, and part of the forefeet; 

 under parts white, unspotted except on the lower neck; tail with 

 four complete rings and a white tip (Hilzheimer, 1913, pp. 287- 

 288). Head and body, 1,150 mm.; tail, 650 mm. (Cabrera, 1932, 

 p. 192). 



In Senegal the Cheetah is met with as far south as Podor and 

 even near St. Louis (Cligny, 1900, p. 289). 



In Morocco it exists only in the Saharan district, south of the 

 Grand Atlas and the Anti-Atlas. Strohl (1923) refers to the capture 

 of a dozen specimens in the vicinity of Zenaga [region of Figuig?]. 

 According to native report, it is well known, though not very com- 

 mon, in the Wadi Draa. Thence it extends across Mauretania to 

 Senegal. (Cabrera, 1932, p. 192.) Laurent (1935, p. 350) records 

 skins from Tamlelt, Morocco. 



In North Africa the Cheetah is extremely rare, but is still found 

 regularly on the Oran-Moroccan High Plateaus. It is also said to 

 be distributed here and there in the entire Sahara. (Heim de Balsac, 

 1936, pp. 99, 179.) 



In Tunisia this very rare animal exists only in the extreme south, 

 in the Grand Erg. Sometimes solitary individuals range toward 

 the north; thus some Cheetahs were killed at Fedjej and at El- 

 Hamma in 1908 and 1913. The species is hunted by its tracks, 

 which are easy to follow on the sand of the dunes. The natives of 

 southern Tunisia do not utilize it for hunting, as the Afghans, Arabs, 

 and Indians do with the Asiatic Cheetah. (Lavauden, 1932, pp. 7-8.) 



The cause of depletion in Tunisia is the progress of civilization; 

 there are no special protective measures. The animal is found ac- 

 companying herds of Addax and Loder's Gazelles. (Conservator of 

 Forests, Tunis, in Hit., September, 1936.) 



We lack precise information on the range of the Cheetah in the 

 Libyan hinterland. Some are found in the southern steppe region of 

 Cirenaica. A specimen was killed recently at Bir Scegga, between 

 Tobruk and Jarabub. At the time of the Pharaohs the animal was 

 employed in the hunting of antelopes. Its skin has slight commercial 

 value. (Zammarano, 1930, pp. 13-15.) 



In Egypt the species "is very rare, and found only in the country 

 to the west of Alexandria. In 1909 Col. H. C. B. Hopkinson . . . 

 saw the tracks of two Chitas that had been stalking gazelle in the 

 Mariut district about 40 miles west of Alexandria." In 1910 "a 

 Bedawin shot a Chita about 5 miles north-east of Moghara, Mariut 

 district .... A few other specimens were shot later." In 1927 

 "three live Chita cubs from south-west of Sollum had been received 

 recently at the Giza Zoological Gardens." (Flower, 1932, p. 392.) 



The present range of this vanishing species in Egypt is restricted 

 to the Western Desert. The cause of depletion is injudicious hunting. 



