3fAMMALS OF MESOPOTAMIA. 343 



^ The size may be due to its being a leveret, but there is no skull to de- 

 cide this. 



The arrival of more specimens of this little golden hare from Hit will be 

 awaited with interest. 



The examples obtained on the Tigris have been compared with Palestine 

 and Arabian species. All and the Samarra specimen in particular, bear a 

 strong resemblance to a series from the Dead Sea. A series of' six L. 

 craspedotis, the Beluch hare lately arrived from Hotson in Persian Beluchi- 

 stan was compared with five Tigris hares from Buxton. 



The average head and back measurements taken in m.m. in the flesh 

 were L. connon 472 m.m. against L. craspedotis 411 mm. Ear measure- 

 ment L. connori 105 m.m. against L. craspedotis 123-3 m.m. The Tigris hare 

 is therefore a large bodied, slightly rufus hare with small ears ; while L. 

 craspedotis is a small bodied grey hare with very long ears. 



Lzpus connori difl'era from L. dayanus, a Sind species in three distinct 

 features. The hair of L. connori is long and soft, the upper part of the tail 

 is black and the nape of the neck fox red. L. dayanus has short hair of 

 coarser texture. The upper part of the tail is sandy brown and the nape of 

 the neck grey. The comparison of a series of both brings conviction that 

 the Iraq hare is worthy of specific rank and should not be associated with 

 L. dayanus. From this it is also geographically separated by a very distinct 

 hare L. craspedotis as we have seen. 



The range of L. connori is at present the lands of the Lower Karun, 

 Tigris and Euphrates rivers. 



35. Gazella marica, Thos. 



1897. Gazella inariea, Thomas, A.M.N.H. Ser. 6, Vol. XIX, p. 162. 



The Marica Gazelle. Arabic ' gazaal ' and ' Dhabi.' 



IS 2? Busra Dep. Civil Commissioner, 28-3-18 to 16-12-18. 



Died in Victoria Garden, Bombay. 

 1 Nasariyeh Livesey, 4-7-17 skin without mask or skull. 



1 c? 1 $ Shushtar Bailey, skulls. 



1 S Ahwaz Ludlow, 3-7-17, skull. 



1 imm. Amara Buxton, spring, 1918. Skin. 



The gazelles have taken more time than any other group of animals in the 

 collection. Partly because the whole position of the Gazelle family, espe- 

 cially in this area, is in need of expert revision. Little reliance can be 

 placed on previous works on the subject as the series on which they are 

 based are small. 



Perhaps it will be more helpful in this paper to note briefly the chief 

 features of the geographically neighbouring species with which the Meso- 

 potamian skins have been compared, and the conclusions arrived at. 



Any of the species mentioned may occur in Mesopotamia. 



The species compared were : — G. arabica. 0. aubgutturosa and 0. marica. 



The Arabian gazelle, G. arabica. This is a small race, the forehead and 

 nose are bright chestnut. Females horned. Inhabits the deserts of Oman 

 N. of Aden and Western Arabia. 



The lower Mesopotamian gazelle lacks the chestnut on the head and has 

 indistinct brown face streaks with a tendency to whiteness increasing with 

 age. It is also larger. 



The Persian gazelle, G. aubgutturosa. These were long coated, with 

 distinctly brown coloration. The forehead was brown, in some specimens 

 white hairs were intermixed. 



