1891.] ON SMALL MAMMALS FROM EASTERN AFRICA. 181 



In July and August we received some Spiders from Messrs- Raleigh 

 and C. F. R. Blandy. There are examples of two species of Taran- 

 tulas {Lycosa nigra and Lycosa porto-santana) and specimens of the 

 Zehra Spider (^rjrj/ojje/ascia^a). These are all from Madeira. One 

 of the Zebra Spiders made a web and laid some eggs; these pro- 

 duced young ones, but they all died. 



The following papers were read : — 



1. On a Collection of small Mammals made by Mr. F. J. 

 Jackson in Eastern Africa. By Oldfield Thomas. 



[Eeceived February 2, 1891.] 

 (Plate XV.) 



By the kindness of the Misses Jackson I have been entrusted with 

 the examination of the small Mammals collected by their brother, 

 Mr. F. J. Jackson, during his recent successful expedition to the 

 interior of the British East-African Company's Territories and up 

 Mount Elgou. Mr. Jackson has already distinguished himself as a 

 collector, and this last expedition, so far beyond the region explored 

 by naturalists, has resulted in the discovery of a very large number 

 of novelties. Mr. Jackson is much to be congratulated on his striking 

 success in this direction \ 



The localities at which the Mammals were collected were as 

 follows : — 



Mount Elgon, a volcanic peak, about 14,000 ft. in altitude, N.E. of 

 the Victoria Nyanza, about 1° N., 34° 35' E.^ Never ascended 

 previously by any European. 



Turquel, in the Siik country, between 1° and 2° N. and 34° and 

 3.5° E. ; inland British East Africa. 



Mianzini, just east of Lake Naivasha, about 0° 55' S. and 36° 

 25' E. ; at an altitude of nearly 9000 feet. 



The geographical affinities of the collection are extraordinarily 

 mixed, and even dividing the localities, for Mount Elgon is nearly 

 200 miles distant from Mianzini, the same peculiarity is observable. 

 Thus of the three species marked as from Mount Elgon ^, one is 

 new, with distinct South-African and Abyssinian, not West-African, 

 affinities ; one is typically West-African (as are many of the birds), 



^ See papers on the Birds by Messrs. Sharpe and Grant, 'Ibis,' 1891. 



^ These positions are taken from the map in Mr. Joseph Thomson's ' Through 

 Masai-land,' 1885. 



'' Unfortunately some of the specimens, although numbered by Mr. Jackson, 

 have not the localities marked on them, so that until his notes arrive the exact 

 locahties cannot be recorded ; and some of these specimens may also be from 

 Mount Elgon. 



