Bibliographical Notice. 407 



many of the specimens of South- African Mammals, as well as to the 

 fact that a number of interesting species were not represented at 

 all ; so Mr. Selous took note of what he ought to obtain should he 

 ever revisit the interior. It was not then his intention to do so, 

 for, after many years of roving, he felt inclined to take a farm 

 and settle down ; but Diis aliter visum, and he soon started on 

 another expedition, to be followed by many more during the next 

 ten jears. Some of the results of his truly scientific collecting may 

 be seen in the superb examples of antelopes of various species which 

 now adorn the galleries at South Kensington, while other valuable 

 animals are in the museum at Cape Town and elsewhere ; though as 

 yet the principal object of his search — the adult of the square- 

 mouthed Bhinoccros simus, " the largest of modern terrestrial 

 mammals after the elephant" — is still wanting in our collection. 

 We think — for we cannot be sure from the map supplied — that it 

 was not far from the present site of Salisbury that Mr. Selous shot 

 the two last of this species he saw or ever expects to see, and he 

 preserved the head of the male for the Cape Town Museum, coiantiug 

 upon procuring a finer specimen for our National Collection later on 

 in the season. But in 18S6 two Boer huntei's got into the little 

 tract of country where the few white rhinoceroses were left, and 

 killed ten of them, five more being killed by the Matabili ; and 

 although, in August 1892, Mr. E. T. Coryndon shot a female and 

 preserved its skin and skeleton, and captured the calf (which after- 

 wards died), yet, through some unfortunate mischance, the fact 

 remains that this once plentiful species is at present represented in 

 collections by an antique calf iu our Museum and a single specimen 

 at Ley den. 



Mr. Selous was surprised to find the fresh " spoor " of the hippo- 

 potamus at an elevation of upwards of 4000 feet above sea-level, 

 but, he adds, " this animal wanders a great deal in search of food 

 when undisturbed, especially during the rainy season." At a pool 

 which offered a favourable opportunity for observation he noted by 

 the watch the duration of submersion, and found that after being 

 fired at a hippo' could stay down four minutes and twenty seconds, 

 though from two to two and a half minutes was the usual time ; 

 and, as illustrating the supposed great age of Africa, he mentions 

 " the hippopotamus paths worn deep into the solid rock along the 

 Lower Umfuli River, formed in the hard stone, with the central 

 ridge plainly shown as in a hippopotamus path made but yesterday 

 in muddy ground, proving that the mammals existing in it at the 

 present day have roamed the land for countless ages." With regard 

 to the distribution of the wiry-haired klipspringer antelope, he con- 

 siders it worthy of remark that in Mashunaland this small active 

 species is to be found along the courses of all the larger rivers, 

 amongst boulders and masses of rock ; whereas in Cape Colony the 

 species is confined to the highest portions of the most rugged hills 

 and mountains, where the snow often lies deep. On one occasion 



