86 MR. p. L. SCK\.TER ON THE BREEDING [Jan. 15, 



been able to communicate with him about it. But I have examined 

 a pair of horns at Mr. Eowland Ward's belonging to Major Lloyd, 

 of the South Staffordshire Eegiment (alluded to by Capt. Dunning), 

 and have no doubt that they are those of a young male of Ovis trag- 

 elajohtis. I think, therefore, we may assume it as proved that the 

 present range of the Barbary Sheep extends through the interior of 

 Tripoli into the southern mountains of Egypt. 



But I have two pieces of evidence which tend to show that the 

 Barbary Sheep in bygone years existed also in the more northern 

 mountains of Eastern Egypt between the Nile and the Eed Sea. 

 Mr. E. N. Buxton has shown me a large and well-preserved right 

 horn of the Barbary Sheep, which he picked up in Feb. 1893 on the 

 lo\^er slopes of the mountains to the north of the Wadi Medisa, 

 during his journey from Keneh towards Jimsah\ In such a dry 

 climate it is impossible to say how long this horn may have lain 

 there, but it is evidently comparatively recent. 



Again, as Mr. Buxton has kindly pointed out to me. Prof. 

 Schweinfurth, in an article "On the unknown Land of Egypt" 

 (of which I have only seen a translation), speaks of the Barbary 

 Sheep as being even now "frequent" in the Wadi Scietun, which 

 debouches on the JS'ile below the town of Achmim (or Echmim) 

 between Siout and Kenah. There is said to be a cistern in this 

 valley about 60 kilometres N.W. of Achmim, to which these animals 

 resort. 



It is therefore by no means impossible that, as Geoffroy 

 St.-Hilaire has stated, an example of Ovis tragelapTms may have 

 been killed near Cairo at the beginning of the present century. 



4. Note on the Breeding of the Surinam Water-Toad [Pipa 

 surinamensis) in the Society's Reptile-House. By 

 P. L. ScLATER, M.A., Ph.D., F.R.S., Secretary to the 

 Society. 



[Received January 14, 189.9.] 



When I visited the Gardens of the Eoyal Zoological Society of 

 Amsterdam in May last, as I have already mentioned on a former 

 occasion (see P. Z. S. 1894, p. 456), I observed with great interest 

 seven living examples of the Surinam Toad in one of the hot-water 

 tanks, being the first individuals of this remarkable Batrachian 

 that I had ever seen alive. Notin^ the interest that 1 took in 

 these creatures, our excellent corresponding member Mr. F. E. 

 Blaauw, who was iu my company on the occasion, most kindly 

 offered to endeavour to obtain for the Gardens of this Society some 



1 See Mr. Flower's map, P. R. G. S. n. s. is. p. 730 (1867). 



