1907.] ON MAMMALS FROM COGUNO, INHAMBANE. 285 



3, The Ruckl Exploration of South Africa.— VII. List of 

 Mammals obtained by Mr. Grant at Coguno, Inham- 

 bane. By Oldfield Thomas, F.R.S., F.Z.S., and R. C. 

 Weoughtox, F.Z.S. 



[Received February 21, 1907.] 



No part of South Africa was more inadequately repi^esented in 

 our National Museum than the Portuguese territories nortli-east 

 of Delagoa Bay, and we ai-e glad to say that the fine collection 

 from Inhambane of which we now give an account does much 

 towards filling up the lacunse. Mr. Grant found a good collecting 

 place at Coguno, about 75 miles to the south-west of the town of 

 Inhambane, and obtained there the whole of the pi-esent series, 

 which numbers 212 specimens, belonging to 39 species. 



Of these we have described 6 as new, several of them being 

 pai'ticularly striking forms, notably a Gcdago and a Petroch^ovius. 

 And besides the novelties, specimens that are of very special 

 value are the topotypes of such of Peters's species as were described 

 fi-om Inhambane, these being the first of a series of Petersian 

 topotypes which we hope Mr. Grant may in time be able to com- 

 plete, since all S.E. African Mammalogy seems to circle round the 

 species obtained during the epoch-making voyage of the famous 

 G erman zoologist, and but little satisfactory work can be done until 

 good modern specimens of all his species are available for study. 



As before the whole of this valuable collection is presented to 

 the National Museum by Mr. C. D. Rudd. 



Mr. Grant's notes on the Inhambane District are as follows : — 



" Inland from Inhambane the country is composed of more or 



less undulating^ sandy flats, densely buslied and timbered ; often 



for many miles the only open spaces are the clearings made by the 



natives for their kraals and cultivated lands. 



" Some of the river-valleys are more open, consisting of patches 

 and stretches of forest alternating with open plains, generally 

 thickly covered with palmetto. 



" The rivers, excepting the Intanime, are merely huge, dense 

 reed-beds, through which the actual watercourse is often traceable 

 only with difiiculty. 



" The natives are very numerous and are mostly Mchopee, with 

 a small sprinkling of Machangaan, and all are great hunters and 

 trappers, and gave considerable help throughout the trip, either 

 by giving information as regards species or in bringing in 

 specimens. 



" My head camp lay close to the Commando of Coguno, which 

 is about 130 kilometres by the Panda Road from Inhambane ; 

 thence short trips and excursions were made into the surrounding 

 country as necessity demanded. 



" Owing to the denseness of the bush and the compai-ative 

 flatness of the veldt local guides were always necessary. 

 Proc. Zool. Soc— 1907, No. XX. 20 



