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Show 86 MB. P. L. SCLATEB ON THE BEEEDING [Jan. 15, been able to communicate with him about it. But I have examined a pair of horns at Mr. Rowland Ward's belonging to Major Lloyd, of the South Staffordshire Regiment (alluded to by Capt. Dunning), and have no doubt that they are those of a young male of Ovis tragelaphus. I think, therefore, we may assume it as proved that the present range of the Barbary Sheep extends through the interior of Tripoli into the southern mountains of Egypt. But I have two pieces of evidence which tend to show that the Barbary Sheep in bygone years existed also in the more northern mountains of Eastern Egypt between the Nile and the Red Sea. Mr. E. N. Buxton has shown me a large and well-preserved right horn of the Barbary Sheep, which he picked up in Feb. 1893 on the lower slopes of the mountains to the north of the Wadi Medisa, during his journey from Keneh towards Jimsah2 In such a dry climate it is impossible to say how long this horn may have lain there, but it is evidently comparatively recent. Again, as Mr. Buxton has kindly pointed out to me, Prof. Schweinfurth, in an article " On the unknown Land of Egypt" (of which I have only seen a translation), speaks of the Barbary Sheep as being even now "frequent" in the Wadi Scietun, which debouches on the Nile below the town of Achmim (or Echmim) between Siout and Kenah. There is said to be a cistern in this valley about 60 kilometres N.W. of Achmim, to which these animals resort. It is therefore by no means impossible that, as Geoffroy St.-Hilaire has stated, an example of Ovis tragelaphus may have been killed near Cairo at the beginning of the present century. 4. Note on the Breeding of the Surinam Water-Toad (Pipa surinamensis) in the Society's Reptile-House. By P. L. SCLATEB, M.A., Ph.D., F.R.S., Secretary to the Society. [Eeceived January 14, 1895.] When I visited the Gardens of the Royal Zoological Society of Amsterdam in May last, as I have already mentioned on a former occasion (see P. Z. S. 1894, p. 456), I observed with great interest seven living examples of the Surinam Toad in one of the hot-water tanks, being the first individuals of this remarkable Batrachian that I had ever seen alive. Noting the interest that 1 took in these creatures, our excellent corresponding member Mr. F. E. Blaauw, who was in my company on the occasion, most kindly offered to endeavour to obtain for the Gardens of this Society some 1 See Mr. Flower's map, P. E. G. S. n. s. ix. p. 730 (1867). |