1885.] THE SECRETARY ON ADDITIONS TO THE MENAGERIE. 851 



December 1, 1885. 

 Prof. W. H. Flower, LL.D., F.R.S., President, in the Chair. 



The Secretary made the following report on the additions to the 

 Society's Menagerie during November 1885 : — 



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

 gerie during the month of November was 105, of which 60 were by 

 presentation, 1 8 by purchase, 4 by birth, 5 were received in exchange, 

 and 18 received on deposit. The total number of departures during 

 the same period, by death and removals, was 131. 



The most noticeable additions during the month were : — 



1. A pair of Pale Fennec Foxes (Canis pallidus), presented by 

 Capt. J. S. Talbot, 1st Shropshire Light Infantry, November 24th. 



Mrs. Talbot informs me that these animals were dug out of a hole 

 by Capt. Talbot, while on the march from Suakim to Handoub, 

 when quite small, and were for some weeks fed by hand. 



The species was described and figured in 1826 (Riipp. Zool. Atlas, 

 tab. xi. p. 33), but appears to be little known, and is new to the 

 collection. The living examples seem to agree with the stuffed 

 specimen in the British Museum. 



2. Twelve examples of the Spectacled Salamander (Salamandrina 

 perspieillata) from Italy, presented by Prof. H.H. Giglioli, C.M.Z.S., 

 Nov. 28. New to the collection. 



Mr. Sclater laid on the table several Birds which had been sent to 

 him for exhibition by Mr. H. Whitely of Woolwich, and called special 

 attention to a Hornbill, the casque of which coincided nearly with 

 that described by Mr. G. R. Gray in 1871 as Buceros casuarinus 

 (Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. ser. 4, vol. viii. p. 437, pi. xvii. ; see also 

 Elliot's Mon. Bucerotidse, pi. xxxiv.). 



Upon this specimen being taken to the British Museum in 

 order to be compared with the type, Mr. Sharpe had pointed 

 out to Mr. Sclater that it was certainly only the young stage of 

 Bycanistes cylindricus. It would seem, therefore, that the sup- 

 posed Buceros casuarinus had been founded upon the casque of a 

 young specimen of B. cylindricus, of which the feathers at the back 

 of the head had been removed. 



Mr. W. T. Blanford exhibited on behalf of Capt. C. S. Cumber- 

 land the head of a "Wild Sheep from Ladak, which he considered to 

 belong to a hybrid between Ovis hodgsoni and O, vignei. 



The following papers were read : — 



