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Show 304 MR. G. E. H. BARRETT-HAMILTON ON [Mar. 3, Capt. Paget informs me that this animal was captured in the Khor Abent, halfway between Suakin and Cassala. It is new to the Collection. 2. A Hybrid Antelope, bred between the male of Tragelaphus qratus (received from the Hamburg Gardens, July 27,1894) and a female Tragelaphus spekii, presented by James A. Nicholls, Esq., F.Z.S., Oct! 14, 1890. This curious hybrid in general appearance appears to take after the rufous colour of the female of T. gratus. It has a black dorsal stripe and is spotted on the flanks. So far as we can tell, the period of gestation in this instance was about seven months. Mr. G. E. H. Barrett-Hamilton, F.Z.S., exhibited several fresh-looking skeletons of the Norway Lemming (Mgodes lemmus), obtained by Dr. H . Gadow in caves near Athouguia, in Portugal, and made the following remarks : - Early in the year 1895 Dr. H . Gadow handed m e for examination some skeletal remains of a species of small mammal, which, on a first inspection, appeared to be those of some species of Yole- Microtus. Thinking the remains were those of Voles I put them aside for a time, but later on, when I had an opportunity of examining them more carefully, I found, to m y surprise, that they consisted of some skeletons and detached bones of the Norway Lemming, Myodes lemmus. When first received by me the remains consisted of a good many fragments and single bones, and of two almost complete skeletons. These latter were completely enveloped in the original skin, which had become so dried and hardened that in order to enable myself to examine the skeletons I had to get it removed. The whole appearance of the specimens was so fresh that, unaware as I was of their true character, I had the dried skin, which enveloped them like mummies, removed, so that, I regret to say, not one of these most interesting specimens has been preserved in the condition in w hich I received it. Some of the vertebrae, however, are still connected together by the dried remains of the ligaments. This, and the whiteness and excellent preservation of the bones, will show how easy it was to be deceived as to their nature, and to come to the belief that they were of recent origin and perhaps unimportant. This discovery of Dr. Gadow's is of very great interest, as it enormously increases our kuowledge of the distribution of the Norway Lemming in past times, and helps to throw light upon the former climatic conditions of Portugal. According to Professor E. Collett \ the most recent authority on the Norway Lemming, this animal has its principal home in Norway, where it inhabits all the mountain plateau from north to south of the country, and in some localities is distributed down to the sea-level. Its range includes also Swedish and Eussian Lapland, but ceases eastward on the western shores of the White Sea, and, though the animal is spread over the greater part of the 1 ' Myodes lemmus, its Habits and Migrations in Norway.' Christiania, 1895. |