referred to the 6V/1M.9 Meiioncs. 2G9 



l)ull« 42'8 ; cojulylo-incisive longtii W} ; zyf^oinatic hroiulili 

 24'5 ; imgals 16*2 ; iiitejoibital l)ieadtlj 8 ; breadth of biaiii- 

 caso 18 ; ineatal breadth 22*8 ; j)alatino foiainiiia 7'G ; 

 U|i|)(M* molar series 5"8. Bulho : horizontal diuL^jonal length 

 lt)'2 ; l)ack i>f bulla to front of ineatal swelling 12*8; siipra- 

 nit'atal triant^lc, length 5, lu'ii;ht 3. 



llah. Syrian Desert. Type from Karyatein (spelt Kar- 

 geten in Stieler^s Atlas). Ait. 2000'. Another specimen 

 from a point 320 km. east of flu; Dead Sea, 3000'. 



Type. Atlult male. B.M. no. 5. 7. 2. 2. Original 

 number 27. Collected 3rd March, 1905, by Douglas 

 Carruthers. 



Of these gerbils with large bullte — all once roferred to 

 M. erythrourus, — the true bearer of that name occurs in 

 Afghanistan, ranging westwards through Persia to the edge 

 of tiio highlands ; then in the lower littoral country comes 

 the smaller M. cltaron, succeeded again in the Syrian 

 desert by the present species, which, though more like true 

 eri/(hrourus, is distinguishable by its longer feet and larger 

 teeth. 



Meriones rharon, sp. n. 



A small species with terminally crested tail, allied to 

 M. lontjifrous. 



Size a little less than in M. longifrons. General coloiu' 

 above finely speckled sandy butl" ("pinkish buff" darkened 

 by the brown points of the hairs), the tone warmer on the 

 posterior back. Under surface white, the lateral line of 

 demarcation not spec'aily sharply defined. Cheeks greyish, 

 the ))03torbital and postauricular whiti;>h spots scarcely 

 marked. Ears rather short, colouied like the liead. Hands 

 and feet white ; soles with the median area of their proximal 

 halves naked, their terminal halves hairy. Tail not very 

 long, its greater portion shoit-haired, dull buffy, not more 

 ochraceou.s than the body, its tciminiil 25-30 mm. with an 

 upper crest of black hairs which may attain 15 mm. in length 

 at the tiji. 



Skull vciy much as in M. hn'jij'rons, but the bullio less 

 swollen, their antero-internal extension considerably less. 

 Supranieatal triangle nearly as high as long. 



Dimensions of the type : — 



llca.l and body 129 mm.; tail 132; hind foot 29-5; 

 ear 17"5. 



Skull ; median length 37'2 ; diagonal K-ngth to back of 

 bulla 38*3; condylo-incisivc length 33'0 ; zygomatic breadth 



