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Show 434 MR. R. SWINHOE ON CHINESE ZOOLOGY. [June 9, walls of its interior the rock was broken into shelves ; and here the Rock-pigeon (Columba rupestris, Bp.) resorted in hosts to rear its young, and find a cool retreat from the noonday sun. A shout and a few stones thrown in brought them out in swarms. The Sparrow, of course, also availed itself of so satisfactory a site. A pair of Kestrels had a nest on the cliff overlooking the hole; and several species of Hawks were about. In this neighbourhood I also observed Choughs, Fregilus graculus (hi). Their peculiar, loud, discordant notes were quite enough to inform you of their approach. On the 7th we got donkeys and crossed the hills, making south-eastwards to the temple Ling-shan-sze, where the British minister resided. This is a very fine temple, situated on a lower slope of the range that faces Peking, and commands a fine view of the plain with the great city in the distance, and the lower wall to the south of it enclosing the Nan-Haitsze, or "Southern-Marsh" hunting-grounds of the Emperors, celebrated among zoologists as the only known habitat of the Elaphurus davidianus. To the north can be traced the various parks and gardens of the Emperor's summer abode, in which are confined the Cervus xanthopygus, M.-Edwards, the C. mantchuricus, mihi, and the Capreolus pygargus (Pall.). To the latter Europeans can get admission; but the " Southern Marsh" is closed against them : it is of large extent, and has east and west gates, at both of which troops are quartered. Foreigners have taken these guardians by surprise, and ridden in before they could close the gates. But beyond the barracks of the household cavalry there is nothing to be seen but low woods and marshy places-in fact, a neglected expanse abandoned to the Elaphurus, some few Cervus mantchuricus, and Antilope gutturosa, Pall. Being informed of the interest the Society took in this animal by its indefatigable secretary, Sir Rutherford Alcock moved one of the high ministers to procure him some of the fawns alive. Four were obtained, but they were so shaken by the cart that conveyed them to the legation that one died. The mandarin sent a fifth. The minister desired me to look after them, and I had left them in the legation doing well; but the day after m y arrival at Ling-shan-sze word came that another had died; and on the 9th I was on m y way back in a cart to the city, which I reached after a five hours painful jolting. The young Ela-phuri were being fed on milk and bran accompanied with fresh-cut grass; two of the three survivors were suffering from diarrhoea, and a third died. I was in despair, as the remaining two looked sickly. At last I observed how fond the two living Capreoli iu the legation were of sprigs of the elm that abounded in the grounds, and I tried m y young charges with that. They enjoyed it and began to brighten, and I had no more trouble with them. The elm-branches were given to them as daily dessert; it was the over-feeding on damp grass that was killing them. The young Elaphuri came into our hands when they were about six weeks old. They had a very calflike look, and were very unsteady on their legs. Their tails were not, as in the adult, merely tasselled at the end like a Donkey's, but were covered with hair uniformly bushy throughout. Their coats were |