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Show 64 MR. E. N. BUXTON ON THE EUROPEAN BISON. [Feb. 7, February 7th, 1899. Prof. G. B. HOWES, LL.D., F.R.S., Vice-President, in the Chair. The Secretary read the following report on the additions to the Society's Menagerie during the month of January 1899 :- The registered additions to the Society's Menagerie during the month of January were 71 in number. Of these 22 were acquired by presentation, 26 by purchase, 2 in exchange, 6 were born in the Gardens, and 15 were received on deposit. The total number of departures during the same period, by death and removals, was 96. Amongst the additions attention may be called to the fine young male of the Argali Sheep (Ovis ammon) (Plate VIII.), received on deposit on January 18th, believed to be the first example of this species that has reached England. The Council hope to be able to acquire this animal, if it continues to do well, for the Society's collection. The animal at the present time stands about 29 inches high at the shoulders. A communication was read from Mr. E. N. Buxton, F.Z.S., giving an account of a recent visit which he had made to the Forest of Bielovege in Lithuania, in order to see the Bisons (Bison europceus) in the Emperor of Russia's forest, where he was successful in approaching near enough to a part of the herd to obtain some photographs of these animals, which were exhibited to the Meeting. Mr. Buxton was hospitably received by Col. Kolokalzoff, who is responsible for the forest, and by General Popoff, the Guardian of the Emperor's palace by whom he was housed in the building in which the Imperial guests are entertained. He described his journey through the forest as follows:- " In the company of Mr. Neverli, the chief forester, I drove through many miles of the forest on the following day. It occupies a country which is almost dead flat, but is intersected by a few sluggish streams. With the exception of the meadows which border the latter, and a few clearances for cultivation round small villages, there are no open spaces : consequently, although the timber, which consists mainly of oak, elm, birch, spruce, and fir, is very fine, the forest is tame and wanting in variety. This monotony is enhanced by the unfortunate practice of removing all windfalls, a most short-sighted policy, as I think, because notbing so assists the warmth, shelter, and sense of security of a forest, for wild animals, as fallen timber, through the branches of which a tangle of wild growth quickly penetrates and forms a natural screen. The artificial effect is further increased by an immense extent of grass rides, which are cut in perfectly straight lines, at right angles to one another, dividing the forest into squares of |