1898.] OK THE HABITS OF LEPIDOSIREN. 41 



valuable a specimen, and of the generosity shown by his brother 

 in presenting it to the National Collection. 



It was much to be hoped that some of the many British officers 

 now in Nigeria would bring home further spoils of this magnificent 

 animal, so that zoologists might gain a better knowledge of its 

 characters and relationships. 



Mr. Sclater exhibited photographs of the Giraffe now living in 

 the Society's Gardens, of the Giraffe presented to the Queen by 

 Chief Bethoen of Bechuanaland, which had died in the Society's 

 Gardens on the 20th of September shortly after its arrival, and of 

 the pair of Giraffes now living in the Zoological Garden of Berhu 

 (see P. Z. S. 1897, p. 813), in order to show the differences in 

 markings between the two forms Giraffa camelopardalis tyjpica 

 and 6-'.°. capensis (of. De Winton, P. Z, S. 1897, p. 276). 



The following letter from Mr. J. Graham Kerr, F.Z.S., dated 

 from the Zoological Laboratory at Cambridge, January 28th, was 

 read : — 



" I have just received from my friend and correspondent in 

 Paraguay, Mr. E. J. Hunt, a letter in which he gives most interest- 

 ing information in regard to the dry-season habits of Lepidosmn. 

 During my recent stay in the Gran Chaco I was able to definitely 

 determine" that Lepiciosiren, like its African relative Frotopterus, 

 does retire into the mud at the commencement of the dry season, but 

 I was prevented by the untimely onset of heavy rains from pm-suiug 

 my enquiries further into the matter. On leaving the Chaco I left 

 behind with Mr. Hunt a set of questions in regard to the so-called 

 ' cocoon,' which he very kindly agreed to do his best to answer 

 when the prolonged drought should provide the opportunity. 

 The result is the very interesting communication which 1 enclose, 

 and which will, I think, be of much interest to zoologists generally, 

 providing as it does the first account of the dry-season cocoon of 

 Lepidosiren. I need scarcely draw attention to the extraordinarily 

 close agreement of Lepidosiren in many points of detail to what is 

 already known to us in the case of Protopterns." 



Mr. Hunt writes as follows : — 



"1. The nest made by the 'Lolach' in the dry season (see 

 figs. 1-3, pp. 42, 43), so far as I can ascertain, seems to be quite 

 drstinct from the burrow in which the eggs are laid. On the rising 

 of the water the beast comes out of its nest and seeks a convenient 

 place to lay its eggs, which may be near to or far from its nest of 

 the dry season. Prom the appearance of the inside of the nest, I 

 should say that on the return of the dry season the Lolach does not 

 return to the place that it used for the laying of its eggs, nor is 

 there any sign of it near its dry-season nest. 



" 2. The entrance or exit of the nest is by the side of the roots 

 of the papyrus (phi), the cutting swamp-grass, or the bulrush. 

 The circular entrance, two and a half inches in diameter, is plugged 



