NATURAL HISTORY, 23 



India Museum at Calcutta. I have also received letters from Sir 

 Victor Brooke aud Mr. W. T. Bianford, both high authorities on 

 Indian ruminants, to the effect that such a formation is new to 

 them. Mr. Blauford suggests that it might be a hybrid between 

 C. sihirica and megaceros, variety Falconer i; but though I have gone 

 into the records of hybridization in the gardens of the Zoological 

 Society, and therefore believe such a combination possible, the absence 

 of any flattening of the horn and also its curvature is against the 

 theory. The discovery of more than the three heads above mention- 

 ed, and the fixing of a particular locality, will go far towards proving 

 the existence of a distinct species. In the meantime, in placing this 

 head on record, I wish to associate with it the name of Mons. 

 Dauvergne, to whom both the Society and m} r self are under consi- 

 derable obligations as regards assistance in obtaining specimens of 

 Kashmir fauna, and who first brought it to my notice, and therefore, 

 as a tentative measure, I propose to call it that of " Capra 

 Duuvergnii," — R. A. S, 



NOTE ON MYGALE FASCIATA. 



By Capt. T. R. M. Macfherson. 



2nd February. — The following extract was read from a letter, which 

 the Secretary had received from Captain T. R. M. Macpherson, 

 forwarding ten specimens of a very large species of Mygale found by 

 him in the Kamora district : — 



"The spiders, though fairly common in the evergreen forests of this 

 district, are little known, and few men have ever seen them. The 

 first I ever saw I found in one of my boots last year, and shortly 

 afterwards I discovered their habits. They are, 1 think, entirely 

 nocturnal, keeping always to their burrows in the day-time. I have 

 not been able to ascertain what they live on, but it is probably lizards 

 and small birds. The natives call them Wagli Duri and say that 

 they are very venomous, but I have never heard of anybody being 

 bitten by them. However, their long, sharp and hollow ' falces,' 

 strongly resembling the poison fangs of a snake, lead me to believe 

 that they are poisonous, and I would recommend caution in handling 

 them. I experimented the other day on a chicken. The spider 



