304 MR. G. E. H, BARRETT-HAMILION ON [Mar. 3, 
Capt. Paget informs me that this animal was captured in the 
Khor Abent, halfway between Suakin and Cassala. It is new to 
the Collection. 
2. A Hybrid Antelope, bred between the male of Tragelaphus 
gratus (received from the Hamburg Gardens, July 27, 1894) and a 
female Tragelaphus spekii, presented by James A, Nicholls, Esq., 
F.Z.S., Oct. 14, 1890. 
This curious hybrid in general appearance appears to take after 
the rufous colour of the female of 7. gratus. It has a black 
dorsal stripe and is spotted on the flanks. So far as we can tell, 
the period of gestation in this instance was about seven months. 
Mr. G. E. H. Barrett-Hamilton, F.Z.S., exhibited several fresh- 
looking skeletons of the Norway Lemming (Myodes lemmus), 
obtained by Dr. H. Gadow in caves near Athouguia, in Portugal, 
and made the following remarks :— 
Early in the year 1595 Dr. H. Gadow handed me for examination 
some skeletal remains of a species of small mammal, which, on 
a first inspection, appeared to be those of some species of Vole— 
Microtus. Thinking the remains were those of Voles I put them 
aside for a time, but later on, when I had an opportunity of 
examining them more carefully, I found, to my surprise, that they 
consisted of some skeletons and detached bones of the Norway 
Lemming, Myodes lemmus. When first received by me the 
remains consisted of a good many fragments and single bones, and 
of two almost complete skeletons. These latter were completely 
euveloped in the original skin, which had become so dried and 
hardened that in order to enable myself to examine the skeletons 
I had to get it removed. The whole appearance of the specimens 
was so fresh that, unaware as I was of their true character, I had 
the dried skin, which enveloped them like mummies, removed, 
so that, I regret to say, not one of these most interesting 
specimens has been preserved in the condition in which I received 
it. Some of the vertebrae, however, are still connected together 
by the dried remains of the ligaments. This, and the whiteness 
and excellent preservation of the bones, will show how easy it was 
to be deceived as to their nature, and to come to the belief that 
they were of recent origin and perhaps unimportant. 
This discovery of Dr. Gadow’s is of very great interest, as it 
enormously increases our knowledge of the distribution of the 
Norway Lemming in past times, and helps to throw light upon 
the former climatic conditions of Portugal. 
According to Professor R. Collett ', the most recent authority 
on the Norway Lemming, this animal has its principal home in 
Norway, where it inhabits all the mountain plateau from north to 
south of the country, and in some localities is distributed down 
to the sea-level. Its range includes also Swedish and Russian 
Lapland, but ceases eastward on the western shores of the White 
Sea, and, though the animal is spread over the greater part of the 
1 “« Myodes lemmus, its Habits and Migrations in Norway.’ Christiania, 1895. 
