272 
THE MAMMALS OF EGYPT. 
anteriorly, barely encroacliiug on the parietals. The anterior palatine foramina are 
not so large as in M. shawi melahurus, and the dental area is longer. The tympanic 
bullifi are large, and the posterior ends of the zygomata impinge on them. 
This species inhabits shallow burrows in low-lying sandy ground. It is very 
destructive to grain ; from one burrow I removed 500 heads of barley which were 
stored in one chamber. 
From three to five young ones are produced at a time in the month of April. 
The nest is made of grass finely cut up. 
[Levaillant gives a description of a so-called P. ohesus on p. 108 of his volume on 
the mammals collected by Capt. Loche in Algeria; but as the description in no way 
agrees with the animal under notice, mention is not made of this publication in the 
synonymy.— W. E. db 'W'.] 
PSAMMOMYS ELEGANS, Heugl. 
Psammomys elegans, Heuglin, Reise N.O.-A£r. ii. 1877, p. 80. 
(J. Major Penton, R.A.M.C., D.S.O. Suakin. 
2 cJ, 4 $ . Suakin. 
This species is very much more brilliantly coloured than the form found at 
Alexandria, being of a rich rufous brownish yellow, washed with black, many of the 
hairs being tipped with black. From the snout to the occiput the colour is a bright 
rufous brown and more intense than that of the rest of the dorsal surface; yellowish 
grey above the eye and on the sides of the head, but pale yellowish white on the 
chin and throat. The sides of the body are paler. The under surface of the body is 
coloured much as the back, but without any black-tipped hairs, and the outsides of 
the limbs are the same colour, but the inner and outer sides of the tarsus and the area 
behind the vent are deep blackish brown. The tail is concolorous with the back, 
but the long hairs on its posterior third are deep rufous brown. The ears, with the 
exception of their front borders which are margined with long hairs, are almost 
nude. The whiskers are numerous and rather long. 
Measurements taken from specimens preserved in alcohol. 
$• 
6. 
mm. 
mm. 
mm. 
mm. 
Snout to vent. 
133 
136 
136 
135 
Vent to tip of tail, without hairs .... 
133 
130 
128 
127 
Height of ear. 
11 
12 
12 
]2 
Length of head. 
45 
45 
47 
47 
„ hind foot, without elaws .... 
34 
35-5 
33 
33 
