1908.] ON MAMMALS FROM N. CHINA. 5 



From such regions too, and from the lake bottom, come the few 

 species of Molhisca obtained. Only a single Lamelhbranch was 

 amongst these. Truly aquatic worms are i-epresented solely by 

 the Oligochaete Paranais littoralis, no leeches or Turbellaria being- 

 found, although they might well be expected to occur. ■ A 

 Polyzoan is fairly abundant, growing on the siibmerged stems of 

 plants, or on the underside of rocks arad boulders. It is a gymno- 

 Ifematous form, with a circular lophophore and eight tentacles. 



Cordi/lophora lacustris, a form often associated with brackish 

 water, grows luxuriantly on stones in shallow water. A much 

 more interesting and quite unexpected discovery was that of a 

 medusa and the hydroid form with which it is associated. The 

 hydroid was obtained first, being dredged from the bottom in 

 about a fathom of water : the medusa made its appearance in the 

 lake in vast quantities at a somewhat later date. It appears to 

 be a typical Anthomedusan, and has some resemblance to the 

 marine genus Sarsia. Although the Birket-el-Qurun is now 

 slightly brackish, it certainly was quite fresh within historic times, 

 and it is not easy to suggest how such a characteiistically marine 

 organism should have found its way into the lake. It is curious 

 to note that no fresh- water sponge was obtained by the ex- 

 pedition, although S'pongilla occurs commonly in the Nile. 



Algae were collected throughout the lake, being scraped from 

 the rocks and stones and the submerged stems of plants. Of the 

 truly aquatic higher plants, Foicwiogeton interriqjtus and Ghara 

 vulgaris ai'e both of some interest, as they show slight differences 

 from the common form. 



The expedition was undertaken at the request of Captain 

 Lyons, F.R.S., Director General of the Egyptian Survey 

 Department, which has recently paid a good deal of attention to 

 the study of this lake and the whole Fayum province. 



2. The Duke of Bedford's Zoological Exploration iu Eastern 

 Asia. — VI. List of Mammals from the Shantung Pen- 

 insula, N. China. By Oldfield Thomas, F.R.S., F.Z.S. 



[Received December 2, 1907.] 



In March 1907 our President's collector, Mr. Anderson, landed 

 at Ohefoo on the Shantung Peninsula, in order to commence 

 work in Northern China. Nothing has been done in this region 

 since the time of Consul Swinhoe, and good modern specimens of 

 the species he obtained are required before any further progress 

 can be made. 



As may be gathered from the following notes by Mr. Anderson, 

 the Peninsula is highly cultivated, and almost treeless, so that it 

 is naturally poor in Mammalian life. He has nevertheless 

 obtained good series of the few mammals found there, and these 

 will be of much use in the further study of Chinese Mammalogy. 



