124 BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. 



third glume hyaline, smaller ; fourth glume very small, hyaline or 

 none : no awn ; at the top of the pedicel throe stamens, not well formed 

 and not as large as in the hermaphrodite flower. 



This grass is common at Lanowli, on the right side of the station, 

 in the fields beyond the woods, where it grows along with Pollinia 

 tristachya, Thw., Ischcemun laxum, R, Brown, Arondinacea 

 Nepalensis, Trim., and other annua] grasses. The purple-coloured 

 spikes of A. odoratus and Pollinia tristachya, congested at the end of 

 long peduncles, form a most elegant and beautiful feature of the 

 scenery of the field towards the end of the rainy season. It is said 

 to be not uncommon at Khardi, Thana, I have found it in the 

 collection received from this district. 



From the description and from the specimen laid on the table, you 



will see that this Andwpogon belongs to the section Gymnopogon, 



and is different from all other aromatic Andropogons, and as I believe 



it to be a new species, I have called it, as stated above, A. odoratus. 



The leaves and the inflorescence also, when pressed between the 



fingers, emit an odour altogether different. If you examine the 



small quantity of volatile oil, of a beautiful golden yellow colour, which 



is on the table in a tiny little glass-tube marked A. odoratus, and 



compare it with that of A. Martini in another similar tube, also on 



the table, extracted by Mr. Prebble of Messrs. Kemp & Co., you 



will certainly pronounce that the odour of the new species is soft, 



sweet, and more agreeable than that of A .] Martini ; and if it be 



manufactured on a large scale, with great care and by an improved 



process, if practicable, it may prove superior even to that of 



A. nardus and A. citratus. 



Chemical analysis could not be undertaken, because the quantity 

 of the oil extracted was too small for the purpose. 



CORRESPONDENCE RELATING TO THE PROTECTION 



OF INSECTIVOROUS BIRDS IN THE INTERESTS 



OF AGRICULTURE. 



Bengal Chamber of Commerce, 



Calcutta, 31«/ January 1888. 

 No. 90 of 1888. 

 From S. E. J. Clarke, Esq., 



Secretary, Bengal Chamber of Commerce; 

 To Sir E. C. Buck, Kt., C. S., 



Secretary to the Government of India, Revenue anil Agricultural Departments. 

 Sir,— The Committee of the Chamber of Commerce desire me to hand yot» 



