( 471 ) 



THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY'S GARDENS. 



The additions to the collection of Mammalia were neither numerous 

 nor important during October. Two only are worthy of special men- 

 tion, namely, a young male Arabian or White Oryx (Oryx leucoryx), 

 more commonly but erroneously known as beatrix, presented by Colonel 

 Scallon, C.B., D.S.O., and making the third specimen we possess of 

 this species, which is somewhat rare in menageries ; and a large and 

 very interesting rodent, the African Cane Rat (TKryonomys or Aulacodus 

 swinderianus), from Lagos, presented by Captain Macfarlane. This 

 species, which is to be reckoned amongst the largest of existing 

 rodents, full-grown animals measuring about two feet in length, 

 belongs to a group of which all the other members are neotropical in 

 distribution. 



The great event in the Bird line has been the completion of the 

 new cages for Owls. Under the wholly erroneous notion that these 

 birds of prey are haters of sunlight, they have been housed for many 

 years in that gloomy brick building — the ornithological Newgate as 

 it was not inappropriately styled — where it was useless to attempt 

 to see them. In their new quarters they most emphatically demon- 

 strate their diurnal tastes by sitting in the open the greater part of 

 the day in sunshine or rain, the Barn-Owls being perhaps the species 

 which takes most advantage of the shelter with which the cages are 

 supplied. Appropriately enough the completion of these cages coin- 

 cides with the presentation by Dr. Macfarlane of a very rare Owl from 

 Lagos, namely, Bouvier's Owl (Scotopelia bouvieri), not previously 

 represented in the collection. Prom the same donor and locality 

 came a Kite, a Buzzard, and a Wood-hawk [Driotriorchis spectabilis), 

 the latter almost as rare a bird as the Owl. Two more very valuable 

 additions to our series of raptorial birds are a pair of Kolbe's Vultures 

 (Gyps kolbii) from Pretoria, presented by Dr. P. L. Sclater. These 

 are placed alongside specimens of Ruppell's Vulture (G. riippellii), 

 and the Griffon Vulture (G. fulvus), so that the differences between 

 these three species of the genus Gyps may be clearly seen. They are 

 more fulvous even than G. fulvus, and further differ from the other 

 species in having the beak larger and black. 



R, I. P. 



