13 



Swan are all species of great beauty and importance, and 

 several of them are now for the first time proved to be 

 capable of breeding in confinement. 



The Persian Deer presented to the Society in 1857 

 by the Earl of Ducie, had previously produced three fawns 

 while in his Lordship's possession at Tortworth, and there 

 is every probability that they will continue to increase. 

 The series of Deer has been materially strengthened by 

 the addition of a male Barasingha from the Collection of 

 Rajendra MuUick, at Calcutta, the Society having for some 

 years only possessed two females of this desirable species. 

 When pending arrangements are completed for exhibiting 

 the Deer under more favourable circumstances than at 

 present, the approximation of the Wapiti, the Persian 

 Deer, the Barasingha, the Javan Deer, and the Sambur, 

 with their respective Fawns, will be one of the most inter- 

 esting and attractive spectacles in the Menagerie. 



The Earless Sheep, presented to the Society in the 

 year 1855 by His] Royal Highness the Prince Consort, 

 were originally obtained in Shanghai, by H. M. Vice- 

 Consul, Mr. Rutherford Alcock. They are remarkable 

 not only for their structure, which is well delineated in 

 the Proceedings of the Society for 1857, Mammalia, pi. 52, 

 but for their extraordinary fecundity, and the quality 

 of their wool. The texture of the wool has been highly 

 commended for particular fabrics by the Chamber of 

 Commerce at Bradford, and experiments which have been 

 conducted with the view of testing the results of a cross 

 with some of the short- wooUed sheep of this country have 

 also been considered satisfactory. The Ewes which have 

 been retained in the Society's possession have almost 

 always produced four lambs at a birth ; and as they may 

 be obtained at almost any period of the year, this quality 

 may hereafter place them in a superior position to the 

 Dorset, which is the earliest-breeding race we have. 



The Impeyan Pheasant and the Purple Kaleege 

 have again commenced laying. The circumstances under 

 which the latter species produced nine young birds in 

 September last, are worthy of notice as indicating great 

 hardiness of constitution. Their natural period for nidifi- 

 cation is the month of AprU ; but as the birds were shipped 

 at Calcutta on the 7th of March, that impulse was arrested 

 by the voyage, and in most instances would consequently 

 have ceased until the following season. On arriving in the 



