124. JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, 1891. 



BOMBAY GRASSES. 



Dr. J. C. Lisboa read the third part of his paper on Bombay grasses, illustrating 

 his remarks with dried specimens from his herbarium, together with numerous fresh 

 grasses collected by him for the occasion. Dr. Lisboa stated that he had named one 

 of the grasses, which was new, Arundinella campbelliana, in honour of Mr. J, M. 

 Campbell, C.S., CLE. , the Compiler of the Bombay Gazetteer, who had rendered the 

 greatest assistance in the collection of grasses through Forest officers in Gnjerat, the 

 Deccan, the Konkan, and in other districts of the Bombay Presidency. 

 MARKHOR SHOOTING IN EAST AFGHANISTAN. 



The Honorary Secretary read a paper received from Mr. John E. Penton, District 



Mr. H. Littledale, of Baroda, recorded, for the first time in Gujerat, the isengai 

 Water-cock (Gallicrex cristatus), a specimen having been shot near Baroda in his 

 presence on 25th September, 1890, by Lieutenant Percy Bell. 



RED ANTS' NEST. 



Mr. E. H. Aitken sent an interesting account, which was read at the Meeting, on 



the manner in which the red ants (Ecovilla smaragdina) construct their nests in 



trees. 



PITHECOLOBIUM UNGUIS. 



Mr. G. Carstensen, the Superintendent of the Municipal Gardens : — The flowers 

 and fruit from this tree (exhibited on the table) are of so highly ornamental a charac- 

 ter that the tree in question seems to deserve general cultivation in Bombay gardens. 

 The plant now in flower and fruit in the Victoria Gardens was raised from seed 

 received from the well-known seedsmen, Andronze & Co., of Paris, in 1S88. Of about 

 ten seeds only one germinated, which remained in the seed pan for about a year, 

 when it was planted out in the ground in 1889 among other trees of the same order 

 (Leguminosce). It has now attained a height of about 8 feet, and seems to grow into 

 a much branched tree. Of the other representatives of the same form genus 

 Pithecolobium dulce (Inga dulcis) is a well-known tree in all Indian gardens. The 

 present kind is distinguished by broader leaflets, considerably larger and almost showy 

 flower heads, narrower and longer, less fleshy, bright red, curiously twisted pod, 

 which when bursting show the black seeds, imbedded in a scarlet seed-coat (arillus). 

 Both the feathery greenish -yellow flower heads and the coral -like graceful pods give 

 a peculiar attractive appearance to the tree. The typical kind is an extremely 

 common tree in the West Indies, and owes its name to its paw-like thorns. The 

 variety is, however, unarmed and is stated to have been found in Guadeloupe only. 



