1878.] THE SECRETARY ON ADDITIONS TO THE MENAGERIE. 441 



May 7, 1878. 

 F. Du Cane Godman, Esq., V.P., in the Chair. 



The Secretary read the following report on the additions to the 

 Society's Menagerie during the month of April 1878 : — 



The total number of registered additions to the Society's Mena- 

 gerie during the month of April was 76, of which 33 were by 

 presentation, 26 by purchase, 3 by exchange, 8 by birth, and 6 

 were received on deposit. The total number of departures during 

 the same period, by death and removals, was 90. 



The most noticeable additions during the month of April were 

 as follows : — 



1. A Squirrel, from Ecuador (Sciurus stramineus), of a species 

 new to the Society's collection. 



Mr. Alston, who has been paying special attention to the American 

 Sciuridse, has kindly furnished me with the subjoined note on this 

 species. 



"The Squirrel from Ecuador is certainly the same as Gray's 

 Macroxus fraseri 1 ; but I am convinced that this is a synonym of 

 Sciurus stramineus, Eydoux et Souleyet 2 . 8. nebouxii of Is. 

 Geoffroy 3 will doubtless prove the same ; but I hope very shortly 

 to be able to examine the types of both species. Mr. J. A. Allen 4 

 has lately referred three specimens from Ecuador to S. hypopyrrhus, 

 Wagl., principally on the strength of their harsh sparse fur and 

 long narrow tails. The last, however, seems to me to be a very 

 variable character ; and one of these specimens, which Mr. Allen 

 kindly lent me, agrees very well with our bushy-tailed individual, as 

 well as with Gray's types. The irregular white spots and markings 

 seem characteristic of this species, but are not constant, and, when 

 present, vary in every example. S. stramineus was described from 

 Omatope, and S. nebou.ri from Payta, Peru, while M. fraseri and 

 Mr. Alien's specimens were from Ecuador." 



2. A male Beisa Antelope {Oryx beisa), presented by H.M. the 

 Sultan of Zanzibar, and kindly brought home for the Society by 

 Capt. Pasley of H.M. S. 'Simoom/ April 27th. 



Our excellent correspondent Dr. Kirk, H.B.M. Consul at Zanzibar, 

 to whose kind offices we owe this valuable animal, tells me that it 

 was obtained in the southern part of the Somali country. Along 

 with it the Sultan sent a specimen of a " Dwarf Koodoo, quite 

 different from the common species." This would probably be 

 Strepsiceros imberbis, Blyth, of which we have never yet received 

 an example. 



It is much to be regretted that this animal died on the passage 

 home. 



The following papers were read : — 



1 Ann. & Mag. N. H., 3rd ser. vol. xx. p. 430 (1867). 



2 Zool. Voy. la Bonite, vol. i. p. 37, atlas, Maium. pi. ix. (1841). 

 ' Zool. Voy. la Venus, p. 163, atlas, Maram. pi. xii. (1855). 



4 Mon. N.'Aui. Rodent, p. 740. 



Peoc. Zool. Soc— 1878, No. XXIX. 29 



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