On new Mammah from Arabia and Persia. 487 



LXV. — On Five neio Mammals from Arabia and Persia. 

 By Oldfield Thomas. 



Through tlie instrumentality of ray colleague Mr. W. R. 

 Ogilvie-Grant, Mr. G. W. Bury has been making a collection 

 of mammals and birds in the high country to the north of 

 Aden, on the borders of Yemen. Among the specimens so 

 obtained are three genets (the genus Oenetta not having been 

 previously recorded from Arabia), a new Meriones, and 

 examples of the Arabian fox, which I now think shouhl have 

 a special subspecific name. While working these out I have 

 taken the opportunity to describe another fox from Northern 

 Persia and a mouse obtained in Central Persia by Mr. 

 Witherby. 



Genetta Grantii^ sp. n. 



A member of the G. dongolana group and very similar to 

 the red-spotted East- African species [G. suahelica, Matsch.). 

 Centre line of back from behind withers to tail with a narrow 

 black line ; all other body-markings reddisli fulvous. Head 

 grey, with a well-defined dark median line, bordered on each 

 side with a broader white streak. Nape with seven narrow 

 dark lines, all of about equal breadth, diverging as they run 

 backwards as usual. Sides each with five lines of spots, the 

 upper line irregularly united into a more or less continuous 

 streak. Under surface dull greyish, not so bufFy as in G. sua- 

 helica. Ears grey, without darker spots at their posterior 

 base. Forearms grizzled greyish, almost without spots, 

 scarcely darker behind ; fore feet greyish white, the outer 

 edge of the metacarpal blackened below. Hind limbs indis- 

 tinctly spotted above, the usual black patch above the ankle 

 inconspicuous. Tail long-haired and shaggy, the rings not 

 sharply marked, owing to the overlapping of the hairs ; in- 

 deed they are scarcely definable proximally ; dark rings eleven 

 or twelve in number, each rather shorter than the light ones 

 dividing them ; light rings washed witii dull fulvous above. 



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



Head and body 41-1 millim.; tail 426; hind foot 78; 

 ear 32. 



Skull: basal length 75; zygomatic breadth 39 j palate 

 length 38. 



Hab. Azraki Pavinc, Haushabi, Southern Arabia. Alt. 

 5200 feet. 



Type. Male. Original number 7. Collected 30th May, 

 1902, by G. W. Bury. Three specimens. 



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