PREFACE. 
This volume on the Mammalian Fauna of Egypt completes the two sections to 
which the lamented Author had determined to confine his personal labours in the 
comprehensive scheme for a complete description of the Vertebrate Zoology of Egypt, 
which he contemplated should in the course of time be accomplished. The scheme 
included the Survey of the Fishes of the Nile, which readily commended itself to 
the Earl of Cromer and the Egyptian Government, and was undertaken by them on 
Dr. Anderson’s initiative, the Report on which, by Mr. Boulenger, will form part 
of the Series. 
To render complete the Vertebrate Fauna, it was also under his consideration to 
issue a volume on the Birds, to supplement the valuable and beautiful work of 
Captain G. E. Shelley. As the present volume goes to press, there is every hope that 
this work will soon be commenced under the auspices of the Egyptian Government. 
As stated by himself in the opening words of the General Introduction to the 
Zoology of Egypt, in the volume on the Reptiles, the purpose of the Author was to 
achieve under British auspices such results as would compare favourably with 
the brilliant work accomplished by the French at the dawn of the XIXth century, 
when they were, for a brief period, masters of the Valley of the Nile. It was his 
ambition to supplement, a century later, the zoological researches made under the 
personal supervision of that distinguished naturalist, Etienne Geoffrey St.-Hilaire. 
Moreover, in order to make the work more truly serviceable to zoologists, instructions 
were issued to all who should be engaged in procuring specimens, urging the 
