338 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXVIl 



y^/pe.— Adult female B. M.No. 19-12-24. 1, Original number 390. Collected 

 by R. E. Cheesman at Baiji, Tigris, April 18, 1919. Another specimen from 

 the same place. 



The measurements of the male are: — head and body 203 mm, tail 194 ; 

 hind foot 41 ; ear 26. The skull is also larger than that of the type, but 

 was unfortunately incomplete. 



The skull measurements are larger than those of the type of Tatera persica 

 which is in turn as large or even larger than either T. toeniura or T. indica, 

 according to Wroughton. 



This Gerbil will be found to be akin to Meriones toeniurus described by 

 Wagner in 1843. The measurements were those of a stuffed specimen, 

 without skull, the type locality being given as Syria. 



Wroughton when writing on the genus Tatera in 1906 (A, and JN. M. H. 

 ser. 7 XVII, p. 495) deduced that Wagner's description was too vague to 

 indicate more than a large Tatera. Unfortunately there are no specimens 

 from Syria in the National collection. 



Of the specimens of Tatera obtained by Col. Bailward at Bundi Kir, 

 Karun River, Wroughton identified two of the larger with T. toeniura. 

 The average measurement in mm. was head and body 187 ; tail 197 ; hind 

 foot 42 ; ear 29. Skull greatest length 47; length of upper molar series 7. 



Three smaller specimens from the same collection and one from Loftus ; 

 fiom the same locality and one presented by the Euphrates Expedition, 

 he describes under the name of T. hailwardi. The type, a male, measured 

 head and back, 166 m.m. ; tail 182 ; hind foot 41 ; ear 28 ; skull greatest 

 length 44 ; upper molar series 6'5. Since the arrival of the present series 

 of Tatera in the Mesopotamian collection we are able to form the opinion 

 that Tatera toeniura does not extend across the desert from Syria to the 

 North-Eastern boundary of Mesopotamia as we now have evidence that in 

 the intervening country on the Lower Tigris and Euphrates the resident 

 species is T. hailwardi, to which all Tatera obtained at Baghdad and below 

 on the Tigris are referable. It appears safe to assume that the two speci- 

 mens from Baiji belong to a hitherto undescribed species with a range on 

 the rocky soils above the alluvial Iraq plain. 



They inhabit burrows in patches of sandy soil in the vicinity of river 

 banks. I have named this species in honour of Capt. 0. R. S. Pitman. 



26. Gebbilltjs chebsmani, Thos. 



1919. GerUllus cheesmini, Thomas, J. B. N. H. S,, Vol. XXVI, No. 3, 

 p. 748. 



Cheesman's Gerbil. 



\S . Type Lower Euphrates. Cox-Cheesman, 21-8-17. 



This Gerbil was captured on the Busra-Nasariyeh Railway by Capt, 

 Turner, who generously presented it to me. It was taken alive to 

 Bombay. In general colour and size it resembles a brightly coloured 

 dormouse. The edge of the pale chestnut of the back and the white of 

 the underparts meeting in a clearly marked line along the side. The 

 chestnut continues between the ears to a point towards the nose. The 

 hair round the eyes being much lighter. 



Mr. Oldfield Thomas has kindly named this after the writer. 



27. DiPODiLLUs DASYUKUs, Wagn, 



1842. Dipodillus dasyurus, Wagner, Arch. Naturg. i., p. 20. 

 Dasyurus Naked-soled Gerbil. 



\<S 1$ Baghdad Buxton, 11 & 12-9-17. 



3-^ 1$ Amara ,, 15-9-18 and 7-11-18. 



