2.36 MAMMALIA. 



in the Ghor es Safieh. A wire-trap in my tent at night caught specimens 

 almost as fast as it was set. The Arab village or encampment of the 

 Ghawarhineh tribe was close by, which accounts for their abundance. 

 My specimens were determined by Mr. Thomas of the British Museum. 



Gerbillus erythrurus, Gr. Desert rat. I trapped this species in the 

 Wady 'Arabah at our camp on December i ith, south of 'Ayun Buweirdeh. 

 Mr, Thomas, who named my specimens, informs me that it ranges from 

 Candahar, through Persia, Asia Minor, and Arabia to Algiers. It does 

 not appear to have been taken before in Palestine or Sinai, and is not 

 in Canon Tristram's fauna. This species (or G. pygargus ?) was also 

 seen in Sinai, where its holes and tracks are not unfrequent. In the 

 'Arabah the burrows of the gerbilles and porcupine mice, forming centres 

 of innumerable radiating lines of tracks, and often surrounded and partially 

 filled with chopped vegetable matter, are most notable. 



Psammomys obesus, Rupp. A specimen of this rat was obtained near 

 Bir es Sebi, and identified by Mr. Thomas. Canon Tristram has noticed 

 its abundance in the plains of South Judaea. Its burrows, and not very 

 rarely the animal, are everywhere to be seen from Tell el Milh to Gaza. 

 It is found also in the deserts of Northern Africa. 



Spalax typhlus. Pall. Mole-rat. This animal is abundant from Bir 

 es Sebd westwards, about Gaza, and for several miles south of that place. 

 The mole-rat is found in South-eastern Europe and Asia as far as 

 the Caucasus, and appears somewhat unexpectedly so far south as Gaza 

 at sea - level. My specimens from Judaea are now in the British 

 Museum. 



^Dipus cegyptius, Licht. Jerboa. The jerboa was seen several times 

 in the Wady 'Arabah, always just disappearing, and usually at the close of 

 daylight. This species is found in North African deserts and south to 

 Nubia ; also in Arabia and South-western Asia generally. 



Felis pardus, Linn. Leopard. Fresh tracks of the leopard or ' nimr ' 

 of the Arabs were met with at 'Ain el T4bd, a little north of 'Akabah. 

 This spring is a favourite watering-place for beasts of various kinds. At 



