1904.] ox THE YOUNG OF THE EGYPTIAN FAT-TAlLED GERBILLE. 133 



horns were shed. In five weeks the process was complete and 

 the animal was in its summer coat. 



Explanation of Text-fig. 24. 



A. Head of Stag, taken April I7tli, 1903, three weeks and four days after the horns 



were shed. Length of horns about 5 inches. Extremely vascular and sensitive, 

 the skin of the forehead merging into the " velvety " covering ; the burr (e) being 

 indistinct, the bifurcation between frontal tine {a) and bez tine (&) being just 

 apparent. 



B. Head of same Stag, taken May 14th, viz. three weeks and four days afterwards. 



Here a rapid development is seen to have taken place; the frontal tine (a), 

 bez tine (6), and beam (c) being well divided, a small supernumerary point (X) 

 making its appearance at the base of the left horn. Horns still vascular 

 and warm, and covered with thick epidermis or " velvet " — the burr (e) being 

 more definite. 



C. The same head, taken June 25th, five weeks and four days afterwards. Within 



this period the most marked development takes place; the fi-ontal (a), bez (6), 

 and trez (c) tines being fully developed, and the apex of the beam (d) splitting 

 up into the characteristic three sur-royals. The velvety covering is now 

 shrinking, and the nutrient blood-vessels can be discerned; the burr (e) is 

 now quite prominent. 



On July 24th the horns, though still covered with velvet, are quite adult. 

 During August the velvet begins to peelolF, and by the first week in September 

 the horns are usually clear. 



Mr. Holding also exhibited a fine pair of antlei's of the Irish 

 Red Deer {Cervus elaphus) having 14 points, which had been sent 

 to him by Sir Douglas Brooke, Bart., F.Z.S., Co. Fermanagh. 

 They weighed 8 lbs. and were 37 inches in length. 



Mr. R. I. Pocock, the Superintendent of the Gardens, exhibited 

 living specimens of hairless varieties of the Common House- Mouse 

 {Mus musGulus) and Brown Bat (Jf. decumanus), and remarked 

 that the available evidence seemed to prove that the abnormality 

 was always correlated with a ^vrinkled skin. The living specimens 

 exhibited further suggested that it was accompanied by weakness 

 of the eyes, and in the case of the Mouse by the absence, or at all 

 events diminution, of the smell so charactei'istic of that animal. 



Mr. Pocock also exhibited four young examples, between five 

 and six weeks old, of the Egyptian Fat-tailed GerbiUe {Pachy- 

 ttromys dupresi), which were born in the Menagerie and reared by 

 hand, owing to the death of the mother when the young were only 

 six days old. One of the young had never opened its eyes and 

 would probably be permanently blind. There were five young 

 in the brood, but one had died. Mr. Pocock also showed a 



