424 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, 1891. 



Maharaja no European gardener has supervised those gardens, and I hear 

 they are not exactly in the condition in which I left them. 



In conclusion, I would add that I also, like Mr. Griffiths, will be glad to 

 assist with hints and suggestions those who desire to cultivate ferns and 

 orchids successfully. 



H. St. JOHN JACKSON. 



Allahabad, Uth October, 1891. 



VIII.— A FASTING SNAKE. 



On the 29th September,- 1890, a Python (Python molurus) was brought to 

 the Public Gardens here, and we tried it with various animals regularly every 

 fortnight, but until the 9th October, 1891, it ate nothing, when it took a 

 single white rat, and two days afterwards it took two more. It was therefore 

 without food for a year and ten days, during which time it changed its skin 

 more than once, and always looked glossy and in perfect health. 



HAROLD. S. FEKGTJSON. 



Trevandrum, S. Travancore, October, 1891. 



IX— THE SAGACITY OF THE LANGOOR. 



The following story was related to me by Ballaji, Patel of Kusba Serazgaon, 

 yesterday, when I was encamped there ' — 



" About a year ago," he said, pointing to a well in a garden by the roadside, 

 surrounded with high tamarind trees, "a woman of the Mali caste left her baby 

 3 months old in a swing by the well, and went into the garden to work. After a 

 while she returned and found the child gone. It had on a red garment. Search 

 was made everywhere, and at last a monkey was noticed at the top of one of the 

 high tamarind trees with something in its arms, and there was no doubt it was the 

 child. They did not dare to do anything, but went off to a distance from the tree 

 and watched. After some time the monkey c.une down and put the child back in 

 the swing. It was found unhurt and the little boy is alive now." 



The monkey was a female, and belonged to the common species known as 

 " Langoor." 



FRED. WRIGHT. 



Ellichpur, 6th November, 1891. 



