| OCR Text |
Show 1895.] THE MAMMALS OF ADEN. 551 It was said to be not unusual for this animal to occur in the houses of the natives. Specimen a was dug out of the sand. 23. GERBILLUS ("HENDECAPLEURA") FAMULUS, sp. n. a. 2 • Lahej. 10. IIL 95. Size about as in 67. campestris. General colour, so far as can be seen in an imperfect spirit-specimen, similar to other small fawn-coloured Gerbilles, the usual whitish marks on cheeks, in front of and behind eyes, and at bases of ears apparently present; middle line of face, however, greyer, especially on the nose. Ears large, the anterior half of their outer surface thinly clothed with blackish hairs. Whole of under surface and backs of hands and feet pure white. Palms with two carpal pads as usual. Soles wholly naked, granulated distally, with four small pads only. Tail of type imperfect, but on the three inches of it present the hairs above are white with blacks tips, below wholly white. Skull long and narrow, in size and general form not unlike, though larger than, that of 67. gerbillus, widely separated as the two species really are. Muzzle remarkably long and slender, the nasals overhanging the incisors anteriorly to a quite unusual extent. Supraorbital edges well-rimmed, the rims thickened. Interparietal broad transversely, short antero-posteriorly. Bullae rather large, approaching those of 67. gerbillus, far larger than those of G. campestris; front wall of meatus slightly swollen. Inner cusp of middle lamina of ^f_ slightly anterior to outer cusp. Dimensions of the type, an adult female skin, preserved in spirit1:-Head and body (c.) 90 millim.; tail imperfect, 70 x .. .; hind foot 27*7; ear 16 x 10. Skull: basal length 25*8 ; extreme length in middle line 31*4 ; greatest breadth 16; nasals 12*7x3*2; interorbital breadth 5-8, interparietal 3*4 x 8; palate length from heuselion 13; diastema 7*9; palatal foramina 5; length of upper molar series 4*1 ; greatest oblique diameter of bullae 11*2. Type. B.M. N o . 94.6.1.28. This pretty little Gerbille is a typical member of the group to which Lataste applied the name of Hendecapleura, a group from which Gerbillus (sens, strictiss.) differs in its hairy feet and single carpal pad, and Dipodillus in its six plantar pads and smaller bullae, although, as already noted, the latter seems to be connected with it by intermediate species. The nearest ally of 67. famulus is perhaps the Algerian 67. (H.) garamantis, Lat., from which it differs by its decidedly greater size. 67. dasyurus, bottee, quadrimaculatus, and nanus are also all much smaller, while 67. persicus, Blanf., which has the same foot-structure, is enormously larger. The single specimen of this Gerbille was trapped at the mouth of the burrow of Meriones rex. 1 The specimen was intended for a skin, but the hairs commencing to fall it was put into spirit, never having been allowed to dry. The ear and foet measurements are therefore exact, while that of the body is merely approximate, |
