86 
The Irish Naturalist. 
April, 
The Rhesus Monkey is, perhaps, the species of Macaque 
most easily obtainable, as it is common throughout Northern 
India and is frequently exported to Europe. But it has really 
a much wider range than that. It has recently been obtained 
in Kashmir, and occurs there probably up to a height of 10,000 
feet, while a colony is said to exist on the hills above Simla 
which are over 8,000 feet in height. It is there found in herds 
of considerable size, generally composed of both sexes. As a 
rule only one young is produced at birth, and they become 
adult at the age of four or five years. 
Since our herd of over a dozen Rhesus Monkeys was put 
into the open cage last summer, they have thriven well. They 
have no artificial heat either night or day, and they are fre- 
quently seen taking a bath and a swim in the small pond 
which is in the enclosure. They are fond of fruit, nuts, and 
most kinds of seeds, of which they can stow away a consider- 
able amount in their large cheek pouches for mastication at 
leisure. In their wild state the}^ are said to live also upon 
insects, so that the feeding in confinement has never pre- 
sented any difficulties. Their prominent superciliary ridges 
give them rather a fierce look, and they are a particularly 
quarrelsome species, though also full of fun and ceaseless 
activit}^ It is to be hoped that eventually this species will 
breed in our Dublin Gardens, and that we may be able to 
supply other gardens with hardy Irish Monkeys just as we 
have done with our Irish I^ions, which are now well known 
products in the I^ion market of the world. 
Dublin Museum. 
NEWS GLEANINGS. 
The Swiney Lectureship. 
We are very pleased to anuounce that Dr. R. F. ScharfF, keeper of the 
Dublin Museum, has been appointed Swiney lyecturerin Geology for the 
next two years, and that he will consequently deliver two courses in the 
autumn months of 1906 and 1907 at the Victoria and Albert Museum, 
London. For his first course Dr. Scharff has chosen the subject of 
"The Geological History of the European Fauna," which he has made 
so peculiarly his own. 
