264 MESSRS. OLDFIELD THOMAS AND M. A. C. HINTOX ON 



42. Desmodilliscus braueki Wettst. 



d . 1192. 75 miles W. of El Obeid. 

 $ . 1172. 140 miles E. of El Obeid. 



The type of this remarkable little Gerbil was described from El 

 Obeid. These almost topotypical specimens are most welcome 

 additions to the collection. 



They show that the Nigerian species D. huchanani is more 

 nearly allied to hraueri than we had supposed, as the difference 

 that we had observed in the first lower molar seems to be only 

 due to Dr. Wettstein's photograph having been taken at an angle 

 which gave a misleading outline to the tooth. And as to the 

 difference in the bullae, those of huchanani had had the meatal 

 inflation broken off, an accident which was only perceived on 

 the examination of the present specimens. But the two species, 

 are, however, still distinguishable by the greater size of the 

 molars oihuchanani — 3'2 mm. in length above as compared with 

 2-9 *. 



43. Stbatomts aquilo, sp. n. 



$. 1013. Niurmeya, Jebel Marra. 7000'. Collected 23 

 December, 1921. B.M. No. 23. 1. 1. 438. Type. 



A small species related to the Nigerian citppedius. 



Size about as in cuppeclvus. General colour above pale wood- 

 brown, washed laterally with buffy. Under surface white, less 

 sharply defined than usual. Face rather more buffy than ba.ck. 

 Ears brown with a small whitish patch behind them. Forearms 

 and hands, and hind feet white. Tail brown above, whitish 

 below. 



Skull very much as in ctippediits, but the palatal foramina 

 longer, extending nearly to the level of the middle lamina of m^ 

 and narrower. 



Incisors unusually strongly bevelled, so much so that in side- 

 view the part of the tooth behind the groove appears little 

 broader than that in front. In the type the upper incisors are 

 white, but we suppose this to be due to some accidental chemical; 

 deterioration ; the lower ones are yellow as usual. 



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



Head and body 69 mm. ; tail 39 ; hind foot 14 ; ear 13. 



Skull : greatest length (c.) 19'5 ; nasals 7*5 ; interorbital breadth 

 4 ; front of incisor's to back of m^ 9*7 ; palatal foramina 4"5 ;, 

 xipper molar series 3'7. 



Uab. and 2^ype as above. 



" Found dead on native trail with throat cvit." — W. P. L. 



This represents the most northern occurrence of the genus. 

 Steatomys, although on the west side of Africa it ranges nearly 

 as far — to Kano, Nigeria. The species would seem to be nearly 

 allied to S. cuppedius, unless the peculiar white coloration of the- 



* Alveolar lengths — huchanani 3"7, iraueri 3'2-3"4 (Wettstein 3"5). 



