1909.] COLLECTION OF MAMMALS FROM EGYPT. 791 



Felis lybica Meyer. 



I never met with this species, but a variety of the domestic cat 

 frequently seen is, at a rough glance, almost exactly like this 

 species. 



VULPES VULPES ^GYPTIACA (Sonn.). 



Ganis csgyjjtiacus Sonnini, ISTouv. Diet. vi. p. 524 (1816). 



Vuljjes vidpes (egi/ptiacus de Wint. in Anders. ZooL Egypt, 

 Mamm. p. 227(1902). 



Foxes were fairly plentiful and occasionally seen by day in the 

 desert bordering the cultivation near Aburoash. 



PuTORius AFRicANUS (Desm.). 



Mustela africana Desm. Nouv. Diet. Hist. Nat. xix, p. 376 

 (1818). 



Putorius africanus (Desm.), de Wint. in Anders. Zool. Egypt, 

 Mamm. p. 235 (1902). 



The Stoat is very common in Cairo and the neighbouring 

 villages, where it inhabits houses, preying presumably on the rats. 

 The amount of white on the underparts shows much variation, 

 but the chin and throat are nearly always white although broken 

 up with patches of brown. Along the rest of the body there is 

 frequently only a narrow median line of white which broadens 

 out on the inner sides of the thighs. 



Gerbillus pyramidum Geoffr. 



Gerbillus p7/ramidu7n Is. Geoffr. Diet. Class. N. H. vii. p. 321 

 (1825) ; de Wint. in Anders. Zool. Egypt, Mamm. p. 255 (1902). 



Two specimens of this species were brought in by local 

 Bedouins. They show considerable variation in colour though 

 the measurements are alike. One is of a pale buff with the dark 

 tips to the hairs lai"gely predominating, the other is much moi-e 

 rufous and the dark tips are minute and hardly affect the general 

 colour. The British Museum collection contains several examples 

 intermediate between these two, 



Gerbillus tarabuli Thos. 



Gerbillus pyramidum tarabuli Thos. P. Z. S. 1902, p. 5. 



Gerbillus tarabuli Thos., Schwann, Nov. Zool. xii. p. 3 (1905). 



Mr. Thomas in his original description has regarded this species 

 as a form of G. pyramidu^-m, but as we find it now in company 

 with this species, I am inclined to regard it as a form of 

 G. pygargus, to which also it approximates in general appearance. 

 Our knowlege of these forms is, however, still so limited that, for 

 the present, it seems best to adhere to binomial classification. 



I brought back four skins as well as several living examples, and 

 for the present have followed Mr. Schwann in assigning them to. 



