96. REPORT— 1875. 



mens transmitted by Dr. Kirk from Zanzibar*. There is no doubt, however, that 

 much remains to be done here ; and I believe there is at the present moment no finer 

 field for zoological discoverv available than this district, where we know that animal 

 life in every variety is still abundant, and excellent sport can be obtained to add a 

 zest to scientific investigation. The Fishes of the great lakes of Tanganyika and 

 the Victoria and Albert Nyanza are likewise utterly unknown ; and their investiga- 

 tion would be a subject of the greatest interest. Of those of the more southern 

 Nyassa Lake, a few specimens were obtained by Dr. Kirk (24). 



5. NORTH-EASTEEN AtEICA. 



For many years Ruppell's 'Atlas' (25) and 'Neue Wirbelthiere ' (26), and, as 

 regards birds, his ' Systematische Uebersicht ' (27), remained our standard works 

 of reference upon the zoology of North-eastern Africa. The recent completion of 

 Th. von Heuglin's ' Ornithologie Nordost-Afrika's ' (28) has superseded Ruppell's 

 volumes for general use ; and no more valuable piece of work for ornithologists has 

 been accomplished of late years than the reduction of the multitudinous observa- 

 tions and records of this well-known traveller and naturalist into a uniform series. 

 Von Heuglin's work, however, concerns mainly Upper Nubia, Abyssinia, and the 

 wide territory drained by the confluents of the Upper Nile. For Egypt and the 

 Lower Nile a more handy volume is Capt. Shelley's 'Birds of Egypt' (29), pub- 

 lished in 1872, which will be found specially acceptable to the tourist on the Nile. 

 Nor must I forget to mention Mr. Blanford's interesting volume on the Geology 

 and Zoology of Abyssinia (30), which contains an account of the specimens of ver- 

 tebrates collected and observed during his companionship with the Abyssinian 

 Expedition. Mr. Jesse's birds, collected on the same occasion, were examined by 

 Dr. Finsch, and the result given to the world in a memoir published in the Zoolo- 

 gical Society's ' Transactions ' (31). 



A good revision of the Mammal-fauna of North-east Africa is much to be 

 desired. Meanwhile Fitzinger's list of v. Heuglin's collections (32), and the latter 

 author's own account of them in his Travels on the White Nile (33), may be 

 consulted. 



The Appendix to Mr. Petherick's Travels in Central Africa contains a complete 

 memou- on the Fishes of the Nile-basin, by Dr. Giinther (34); while those of the Red 

 Sea have lately formed the subject of study by Dr. Klunzinger, who has published 

 an essay upon them at Vienna (35). 



6. Arabia. 



Of Arabia, as might have been expected, we know but little, zoologically or 

 otherwise. But little, it may be said, can be expected to be found there, looking 

 to the general aspect of the country. Still it would be of interest to know what 

 that little is. At present the only district that has beeu visited by natui-alists is 

 the peninsula of Sinai ; and of this oiir knowledge is by no means complete. Hemp- 

 rich and Ehi-enberg's unfinished ' Symbolae Physicse ' (36) was for many years our 

 sole authority. More recently Mr. Wyatt has published an article in ' The Ibis ' 

 upon the birds of the Sinaitic peninsula (37). Let me suggest to some of the 

 olficers who are stationed idle at Aden that an account of the animals to be met 

 with in that part of Arabia would be of gi-eat value, and would give them much 

 useful and interesting occupation. I have been more than once told that there is 

 nothing whatever to be found there ; but this I am slow to believe. Any one with 

 a good pair of eyes and a taste for collecting might certainly do much good to 

 science by passing a few months at Aden, and making exciu-sions into that part of 

 " Arabia Felix." In Heipetology, especially, new discoveries may be expected. 



II a. THE LEMURIAN SUBREGION. 



This aberrant portion of the Ethiopian Fauna I will speak of under two heads, 

 namely ; — 



1. Madayascm: 2. Mascarene Islands. 



* E.g. Colobus JcirU, Gray, P.Z.S. 1868, p. 180, pi. xv. 



