214 MR. H. H. JOHNSTON ON THE [Mar. 3, 



It is very evident therefore that the Wild Cat does not exist 

 in Ireland ; had it been otherwise, undoubted examples would 

 long since have been discovered, and any doubts finally set at rest. 

 Such not being the case, we must exclude Ireland from the hst 

 of countries inhabited by Felis catus. 



Felts catus, so far as is known, inhabits the northern part of Great 

 Britain, where it has become extremely rare, France, Germany, 

 Poland, Switzerland, Hungary, the southern part of Russia, Spain, 

 Dalmatia, Greece, and part of Turkey. It is not found in Ireland, 

 Norway, Sweden, Italy, or North Russia. 



A letter was read from Mr. J. H. Thompson, of New Bedford, 

 Mass., U.S.A., C.M.Z.S., stating that " among some interesting land 

 Mollusca collected by Mr. P. G. Thompson on the island of 

 Eleuthera, or rather on a small ' key ' adjacent to the north end of 

 Eleuthera (Bahama Group, West Indies), were several specimens 

 of Helix {Hemitrochus) filicosta, Pfr. (P. Z. S. 184.5, p. 73 ; Reeve, 

 Icon. no. 1437), the locality of which had been previously unknown. 



The following papers were read : — 



1. General Observations on the Fauna of Kilima-njaro. 

 By H. H. Johnston, F.Z.S. 



[Eeceivecl March 3, 1885.] 



I have been asked to say a few words of a general character to 

 precede the papers which will be read before you to-night on the 

 subject of the collections made by the Kilima-njaro Expedition. This 

 undertaking, I need not remind you, was made at the joint expense 

 of the British Association and the Royal Society. The KiUma-njaro 

 Committee which was formed by these two Societies honoured me by 

 choosing me as the leader of the Expedition, and placed aglOOO at 

 my disposal. This sum, while amply sufficient for equipping and 

 supporting an ordinary African expedition during six months, did 

 not allow of my taking any European collectors with me, as every 

 individual who had any knowledge of natural- history collecting 

 required his travelhng expenses to be paid between London and 

 Zanzibar, going and returning, and about £100 salary, with provision 

 made for his widow and children in case of untimely demise. 



I did not leave England, however, with an idea that the task of 

 making the natural-history collections would solely devolve on 

 myself. Collectors from India had been spoken of and their ex- 

 penses were to be defrayed by the authorities of the Indian Botanical 

 Gardens. On arriving at Zanzibar I found the disagreeable news 

 awaiting me that none of these promised helpers could be sent owing 

 to their great dislike to travelling in Africa. Consequently I had 

 to depend on the chance aid of such natives of Zanzibar accom- 

 panying my caravan as might evince any taste for natural -history. 



