4826 Tue ZooLocist—Marcu, 1876. 
—on the evening of the 25th January, by the owner. I examined them care- 
fully both on this and on a prior occasion, and am thoroughly satisfied as to 
their identity. They are undoubtedly wild cats, as the term is rightly 
understood in Scotland—typical Felis Catus. They were also sent from 
Inverness-shire,—doubtless from the same locality as Mr. Hargitt’s speci- 
mens,—and I have one in our collection here also from Inverness, and 
another from Sutherland. Captain Hadfield’s description answers well for 
the male in every point, as far as I can speak from memory. Notably the 
head is smaller and more pointed at the muzzle, and I may add flatter than 
in ordinary specimens of our domestic cat; the tail is short, bushy, and not 
tapering. These differences, along with the distribution and arrangement 
of the markings, are what I take to be distinctive. ones, and are very 
apparent in the Glasgow specimens. The female is a much smaller animal, 
and is said to be younger, but the markings and above-mentioned pecu- 
liarities are equally apparent. Size, and roughness of coat, I do not think 
can be considered of much importance if taken apart from the other items 
of description, because tame cats run wild often attain to a large size. As 
to the right to specific distinctness of our domestic cat, that is another 
question. I only speak of the visible differences between a wild cat (vera) 
and a tame cat run wild,—or in other words, between a wild cat (Felis 
Catus) and a wild tame cat (Felis domesticus). It may further interest you 
to hear that Mrs. Puss is fairly in the way of becoming doubly interesting, 
and we may look forward to seeing a family of “real ringtailed squealers” 
in due course of time. I did not measure the specimens.— John A. Harvie 
Brown ; Dunipace House, Larbert, February 3, 1876. 
Arrival of another African Leopard.—The collection of the Zoological 
Society has just received an African leopard, called ‘“ Mesa,” which was 
captured in the province of Mozambique, Quintangonha district, and 
brought up by hand by Captain d’Adriao, of the Portuguese navy. Subse- 
quently she was given to Mr. Elton, H.B.M. Consul, who sent her home, 
under the kind charge of Lieut. Willison, R.N., by the Union 8.8. Com- 
pany’s Line, to be presented to the Zoological Gardens. Mesa, the leopard, 
had a brother, whose tail unfortunately was injured, and Mesa so attentively 
licked and nibbled at the wound that the whole tail eventually disappeared, 
and the brother died of gangrene. She is, however, perfectly quiet and 
docile, and was petted like a cat at H.M. Consulate previous to sailing 
for England.—‘ I’ield,’ February 5, 1876. 
Enormous Elephant’s Tusk at Zanzibar.—One of the first things that 
attracted my attention was an ivory merchant's store, in which was a lot of 
the finest ivory I had ever seen, so infinitely larger than the largest Cey- 
lonese tusks that I stopped to examine them. The Arab owner pointed to 
one giant in a corner by itself, and on my asking its weight pointed to some 
Arabic numerals marked on it, and explained, through my interpreter, that 
