1898.] 0>- THE LARGER MAMMALS OF TtTflSIA. 351 



The following papers were read : — 



1. On the Larger Mammals of Tunisia. 

 By Sir Harry Johnston, K.C.B., F.Z.S. 



[Eeceived May 3, 1898.] 



Eighteen years ago I spent eight months in Northern Tunisia 

 and lived for some weeks with a French military expedition on 

 the western borderland of that country. A good deal of sport 

 was indulged in by the French and Tunisian officers, and as the 

 result of one day's shooting I was able to picture in a group a 

 Lioness, a Leopard, a Barbary Stag, a number of "Wild Boars, a 

 Hygena, and some Mountain Grazelles. Such a bag would be 

 almost impossible now. Three Lions were killed near our camp in 

 six weeks at the period I refer to (1880). Xowthe Lion is practi- 

 cally extinct in Tunisia. If any specimens still linger they would 

 be found in the thickly-forested mountains round Ain Draham, in 

 the extreme north-west of the Kegency. The Leopard is still 

 found in the -ttdlder parts of Xorthern and Western Tunisia. The 

 Striped Hyaena is sparsely distributed all over the Eegency and 

 right down into the Sahara, though of course it is never found 

 now near any of the big towns. Yet I can remember a Hyaena 

 being kiUed in the suburbs of Tunis in 1880. The Jackal is, 

 however, abundantly met with : I have seen wild ones running 

 across my garden at Marsa, twelve miles from Tunis. Genets 

 and Ichneumons are met with, and the Arabs constantly speak of 

 a Wild Cat which from their accounts would seem to be Felis 

 manimlata. 



The Cheetah and the Caracal are occasionally met with in the 

 extreme south of Tunisia, to the south of the salt lakes of the 

 Jerid. I have seen skins of these animals in the possession of 

 Arabs. The Pardine Lynx is found in the wooded mountains. 

 The Barbary Ape is nowhere reported to exist in Tunisia. Arabs — 

 usually Moroccans — often appear in the towns of the Eegency 

 with tame Baboons. These they are said to bring from the 

 countries south of Morocco. Three of these animals which I have 

 examined seemed to me to be the Arabian Baboon {Cynocephalus 

 hamadry as), hithevto known to us as coming from Nubia, Somahlaud, 

 and Arabia — the Baboon of ancient Egyptian art. One of these 

 animals (a female) I purchased from its Moroccan owner, and she 

 is still alive and in my possession. Her former owner stated that 

 she was brought from Sus, a Sahara country to the south of 

 Morocco. Mr. Sclater, who has seen her, states that she is un- 

 doubtedly of the Arabian species. This, however, is a digression 

 from the subject of my present paper, though I think the matter 

 of sufficient interest to be mentioned. 



The little Fennec Fox is common in Southern Tunisia ; and a 

 Fox scarcely distinguishable from the English form is found in the 

 wooded country. 



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