1892.] SPECIES OF THE HYRACOIDEA. 63 



was based on a specimen obtained by him on Mount Libanus, and the 

 name syriaca given by Schreber is evidence as to what country he 

 considered the home of the species. I am therefore glad to be able 

 to retain the name by which the species has so long been known. 



Thanks to the energy of Dr. A. S. G. Jayakar, of Muscat, I am 

 enabled to announce a very considerable extension of the known 

 range of this species, and at the same time of the genus, for he 

 obtained an adult female with its young at Dofar, on the southern 

 coast of Arabia, about halfway between Muscat and Aden, no 

 Hyracoidea having been previously known in Southern Arabia at all. 



Although agreeing in most of its characters with the typical 

 P. syriaca of N. Arabia, this Dofar specimen differs so markedly in 

 the size of its teeth, as also does a Central Arabian one kindly lent 

 me by the authorities of the Berlin Museum \ that I feel compelled 

 to consider the southern form as subspecifically distinct from the 

 northern. I propose to name it in honour of its discoverer 

 Dr. Jayakar, to whom the British Museum is indebted for examples 

 of so many members of the Arabian Fauna. 



Subspecific diagnoses : — 



A. P. syriaca typica. 



Size rather larger ; skull broader ; teeth markedly larger and 

 heavier, very hypsodont ; breadth of m^ about 7*1 or 7*2 mm., 

 height of crown of ^ about 7'0. Horizontal length of pi about 

 2*2 mm. 



Hab. The northern half of the whole range of the species. 



B. P. syriaca jayakari, subsp. n. 



Size rather smaller, and skull narrow ; teeth smaller ; breadth of 

 m^ 6-2 ^ mm. 



Hab. South-eastern half of Arabia. — Dofar, S. Arabia {Brit. Mus., 

 Dr. Jayakar). Melhan, Central Nejd (Berlin Mus., Coll. Schwein- 

 furth). 



Judging only from the type-specimen, this southern subspecies 

 seems to have a rather darker coloration, and less ragged, shaggy 

 hair, than the typical form, but of course one can lay no stress on 

 these characters without further specimens for comparison. 



4. Procavia ruficeps. 



Hyrax ruficeps, Hempr. & Ehr. Symb. Phys. decas i. pi. ii. 

 (upper figure) (1828). 



1 I must thank Prof, Mobius and Dr. Matschie for the loan of this skull, and 

 also for one of the typical variety from Sinai. In spite of the time that it has 

 been known, specimens of P. syriaca are by no means common, and the British 

 Museum possesses only one stuffed specimen without a skuU. However, 

 besides the two Berlin skulls just mentioned. Canon H. B. Tristram has kindly 

 lent me a skin and skull from Palestine, and there are two Syrian examples in 

 the Genoa Museum collection, originally obtained by Dr. Lortet. 



■^ 6"4 in the specimen from Melhan. 



