28 
A NEW. ARABIAN HARE. 
BY 
OLDFIELD THOMAS, F.R.S. 
(Published by permission of the Trustees of the British Museum.) 
During a recent collecting trip made by Major R. E. Cheesman 
round the Persian Gulf, he obtained on the mainland opposite 
the island of Bahrein, a small hare allied to the little Lepus oma- 
nensis of Muscat, but very differently coloured. Since there are 
no important skull differences I propose to refer it to that species, 
of which it would seem to represent a desert subspecies. 
In recognition of the pains taken by Major Cheesman to secure 
mammals in this inhospitable part of the world, I would name it 
Lepus omanensis cheesmani, subsp. n. 
Size and general proportions as in true omanensis. Fur similarly 
short, the hairs on the back about 15 mm. in length. General 
colour light desert colour, pinkish buff instead of the dark drab of 
omanensis. Undersurface pure white, that of omanensis dull 
bufty, though the specimens of the latter may have been dis- 
coloured. Crown like back, pinkish buff. Area round eye, 
reaching back towards the ears, whitish, contrasting prominently 
with the buffy crown. Proectote of ear pale buffy without 
blackened tips, the tips being quite black in omanensis ; inner 
fringe buffy whitish; metentote dull buffy, its edges whitish. 
Nape patch ‘“‘warm buff.’ Hands and feet buffy whitish, the 
palm and sole brushes soiled drabby. ‘Tail white, the proximal 
part of the upper surface black. 
‘“‘ Hye golden yellow” R. EH. C. 
Skull as in omanensis. 
Dimensions of the type :— 
Head and. body, 380mm.; tail 54mm.; hindfoot 84mm. ; 
ear 94mm.; Skull, greatest length 70°5mm.; condylo- 
incisive length 65mm.; zygomatic breadth 34mm.; nasals, 
oblique length 26:5mm.; interorbital breadth on supraorbital 
wings 21mm. ; intertemporal breadth 10:2mm.; palatal foramina 
18-2mm. by 7°7mm. ; breadth of palatal bridge 4-4mm.; tooth 
row (alveoli) 8:2mm. 
Hab,—Arabia on western shore of Persian Gulf. Type from 
Dohat al Salwa, mainland coast to south of Bahrein Island. 
Type.—Adult male. B.M. No. 21.6.23.1. Original number 616 
of the Cox-Cheesman Collection. Killed 31st March 1921. Pre- 
sented. 
