148 Miscellaneous. 



whilst indicating the efferent apertures, no one appears to have 

 thought of seeking the orifices of entrance, which, however, could 

 not occur, as usual in the other sponges, upon the general external 

 surface, as this, being immediately applied against the walls of the 

 cavities which the Cliona inhabits, is not in contact with the am- 

 bient fluid. If this exceptional arrangement of the pores exists 

 likewise, as is probable, in the allied species, we may find in it an 

 anatomical character for this genus, which has hitherto been founded 

 exclusively upon the biological fact of its boring-faculty. — Comptes 

 Eenilus, January 3, 1870, tome Ixx. pp. 41-43. 



British Killer or Orca. By Dr. J. E. Gray, F.R.S. &c. 



The examination of the skulls in the British Museum shows that 

 two species of Oreo or Killer inhabit the English coast. 



1. The smaller has a broad beak, of nearly equal width for the 

 greater part of its length. This is the skull figured by Cuvier in his 

 work on fossil bones ; and his figure has been copied by many authorn. 

 I projDOse to call this species Orca latirostris. 



2. Judging from the size of the skull and the length of the ske- 

 leton in the British Museum, the other species must be considerably 

 larger. The beak of the skull is elongated, and tapers nearly from 

 the orbit to the front end, which is narrow and acute. I have dis- 

 tinguislied this species as Orca stenorhynclms. 



On the Antiquit)/ of the Ass and Horse as Domestic Animals in 

 Egijj^jt. By M. F. Lenormant. 



The author remarks upon a statement of Professor Owen's, that 

 neither the horse nor the ass was known in ancient Egypt — that is 

 to say, up to the sixth dynasty, about 4000 years b.c. He says 

 that the horse undoubtedly does not appear upon any monument of 

 the ancient empire, or of the middle empire, including the twelfth 

 and thirteenth dynasties. But when the monuments recommence 

 under the eighteenth dynasty, about 1800 years u.c, the horse 

 appears as an animal of habitual use in Egypt. 



The ass, on the other hand, a])pears upon the oldest Egyptian 

 monuments. It is frequent in the tombs of the ancient empire at 

 Gizeh, Sakkarah, and Abousir. As early as the fourth dynasty, 

 asses were as numerous in Egypt as they are at present : the tomb of 

 Schafra-Ankh at Gizeh represents its occupant as the possessor of 

 760 asses ; and those of other tombs boast of being the owners of 

 thousands of asses. 



The author remarks further that, considering the intimate rela- 

 tions existing between Egypt, Arabia Petraea, and Southern Pales- 

 tine during the ancient empire, we may infer the absence of the 

 horse in the latter countries at this period; and in support of this 

 view he cites a painting from the tomb of Noumhotep at Beui- 

 Hassan-el-Kadim, and also the evidence to be derived from the 

 Book of Genesis, in which the horse is first mentioned in connexion 



