27 



February 26, 1839. 

 The Rev. F. W. Hope in the chair. 



A communication from the Bishop of Down and Connor was read. 



In this communication (which ^'as forwarded to the Society through 

 W. Thomson, Esq., Vice-President of the Belfast Natural History 

 Society) his Lordship gives an interesting account of a Philantomba 

 Antelope (Antilope Philantomba, Ogilby) which his Lordship had 

 had in his possession for a considerable time. The animal was 

 brought from Sierra Leone by Frederick Wood Mant, Esq., who 

 has lately presented it to the Society. 



The animal presented to the Society, says his Lordship, " is said 

 to be a native of a part of the country one or two hundred miles 

 further inland. He is considered to be very rare even in that part 

 of the world, so that little could be learned about him from the in- 

 habitants, by whom, however, he appears to be known by the name 

 of Phillantombo or Phillytombo ; whence his late master has been 

 in the habit of calling him Philly, and the animal has appeared sen- 

 sible of the name being designed for him. 



" He was landed in England in May 1837, and was thence brought 

 to Down and Connor House, Belfast, Ireland, where he has lived till 

 this present November 1838. He was probably full grown at the 

 time of his arrival in Europe, for no alteration is perceptible in his 

 size or height ; he has been in perfect health the whole of that time, 

 and, with the precautions taken for his warmth and safety, has not 

 appeared to suiFer even during the winter from a climate so different 

 from that of his native country. The chief change noticed in him 

 has been the loss of his teeth, which took place about Midsummer 

 1837, and again in 1838, somewhat later in the season ; but neither 

 time did he seem to suffer any inconvenience, except for about a 

 fortnight, when he appeared to require softer food than beans and 

 biscuit. He also lost the rough sheath, which covered his horns, by 

 rubbing them against trees and posts, of which exercise he is very 

 fond ; as he is also of rubbing his cheeks against anything that will 

 assist in removing the glutinous substance which exudes from the 

 orifices under his eyes : for this purpose he is pleased with having 

 his face rubbed by the hand, and he also seems to be gratified by a 

 similar application between his horns. It should be added, that the 

 points of his horns are extremely sharp, as has been experienced by 

 those who have been standing near him when he has been in a play- 

 ful mood, or who have had occasion to catch him in order to remove 

 him to his night quarters ; for although extremely gentle, and free 

 from vice, he is at times too frolicksome to submit willingly to con- 

 finement, and is impatient of being taken up in the arms, when he 

 utters a cry like a petted child. It has been remarked, in the case 



