yo Journal of Travel and A^atural History 



Rhinoceros Shedding their Horns. — At a recent meeting 

 of the Zoological Society, Mr Blyth stated that he had been informed that a 

 rhinoceros in the menagerie at Moscow had shed its horn. We know that the 

 horn of the rhinoceros is nothing more than an agglutinated mass of hairs ; and 

 there is nothing more extraordinary in an old rhinoceros shedding its horn than 

 an old man becoming bald. Mr. Blyth mentioned that in Tenasserim he had 

 seen old rhinoceroses with veiy small horns ; and it occurred to him as not im- 

 possible that those might have shed their old horns, and that the horns they 

 bore were young ones just gro^\•n. 



Greenland. — Edward Whymper and Robert Brown have returned from 

 their expedition to that countr}', made during the summer of 1867, although, 

 from causes "beyond their own control" (such as the death of the dogs, sick- 

 ness of the natives, and lateness of the season — vide AthencEutti Dec. 7th) they 

 have not made such geographical discoveries as would otherwise have ensued, 

 yet they have added considerably to our knowledge of Greenland ; and the 

 scientific member of the party (Mr Brown) has made not a few observations in 

 all departments of science, and considerable collections of plants and animals. 

 The plants comprise some 5000 specimens of flowering plants, ferns, and fern 

 allies, musci, jungermannas, hepaticae, lichens, fungi, algae (fresh water and 

 marine), diatomaceas, desmidiese, &c. , containing a number of interesting and 

 new species. The zoological collections consist chiefly of a number of skeletons 

 and skulls of cetacea and seals of different species, birds, fishes (a few) Crustacea, 

 annelidse, echinodermata ; insects (consisting of a number of lepidoptera, 

 hymenoptera, coleoptera, arachnidse, neuroptera, diptera, and suctona) mollusca, 

 zoophytes, &c. In addition to these, both gentlemen have brought home a 

 good collection of the tertiary fossil plants of the Wargatz, of which region 

 Mr Brown has made a geological survey, and many astronomical observations 

 for positions, flint implements, &c., all of which we shall hear more about 

 in good time ; and, as both travellers propose giving an account of their 

 labours in an extended fonn, we shall reserve any further remarks. In Green- 

 land there are some officers of the Royal Greenland Company (a monopoly 

 of the government) who are interested in natural history ; and we may men- 

 tion, as residents at present in the countiy, Dr Rink (the eminent geologist), 

 and the inspector of South Greenland, Herr Districtlcege Pfaff, Jakobshavn, 

 Dr Rudolph, Upemavik, and Messrs Anderson, Bolbroe, Hansen, and Neilsen 

 (colonibestyners or governors of the districts of Ritenbenk, Egedesmende, 

 Godhavn, and Sakkertoppen, respectively) as collectors of zoological speci- 

 mens. Chevalier C. S. M, Olrik, Director of the Royal Company at Copen- 

 hagen (and so well known to the expeditions in search of Sir John Franklin, 

 as being for many years Royal Inspector of North Greenland), through whom all 

 communications ought to be addressed, is also an enthusiastic naturalist. 



Ne"W Vermifuge. — It is well known that amongst the diseases to 

 which the natives of Abyssinia are especially subject, is that caused by the 

 troublesome Trenia solium. For the cure of this scourge the flowers of a plant 

 known as Kousso, the (Brayera Anthelmintica, Kth. ) are in great request. 

 These flowers have long been acknowledged, even by European practitioners, 

 as a most effectual remedy ; but another has lately come to our notice, speci- 

 mens of which have been received at the Kew Museum, from Mr Calvert the 

 Consul at Alexandria. This remedy has been used, it is said successfully, in 



