BALUCHISTAN NAT. HIST. SOC. PROCEEDINGS. 521 



of the Bombay Natural History Society's Journals. The meeting expressed 

 their thanks to Rai Sahib Diwan Jamiat Rai for the list prepared by him and 

 resolved that the preparation of the other lists be awaited. 



The President (Sir Henry McMahon) then suggested that members should 

 in future bring to these meetings brief notes of any observations they may 

 have made in the matter of Zoology and Botany, &c. He mentioned the 

 following rare snakes as having been found in Baluchistan :— 



(1) Vipera lebetina or the Enphratic Viper, common in Ziarat. 



(2) Zanunis bavergiei'i, also common in Ziarat. 



(3) Zamenis arenarius. 



Sir Henry further said that some specimens of Lycodon ttrialus, recently 

 found near the Staff College, from their likeness to Kraits (Bungarus carulevs), 

 had caused a scare that Kraits were common there. No Kraits however have 

 ever yet been found in Baluchistan. He also mentioned that Major Goodwin 

 had seen an undoubted cobra on Zarghun and had found Bee-Eaters breeding 

 there ; also that he himself had seen a flock of green parrots flying over Ziarat 

 on 1st September 1907, while Major A. McConaghey had noticed them in his 

 garden at Quetta. 



The Revd. Mr. Lawrence then remarked that he had come across a number 

 of Erythrospiza obsoleta, a species of Desert Rose Finch about Quetta, and 

 Mr. Gumming corroborated his statement, adding that he had secured a nest 

 of their eggs, and that the bird appears to be what Capt. Marshall and Major 

 Betham described as Hume's Hawfinch in their notes contributed to the 

 Bombay Natural History Society's Journal on the " Birds of Quetta." 



Mr. A. Anderson then mentioned that he had found the Golden Oriole 

 (O. Icundoo) breeding in Quetta. The Revd. Duncan Dixey said that he had 

 seen several water snakes in the pools between Kundalani and Pir Chowki in 

 the Bolan, and would endeavour to capture some the next time he was there. 



Sir Henry McMahon and Col. Peirse stated that they had personally come 

 across several Crocodiles in the pools down the Bolan and elsewhere in 

 Baluchistan, and that these animals had been known to die off in large numbers 

 during severe winters. No instance has ever been reported of these animals 

 attacking either men or animals in Baluchistan. 



Mr. W. R. S. Porter mentioned that the Pied King-fisher had been seen by 

 him in the Residency Garden at Quetta. 



In conclusion the Revd. Duncan Dixey informed the meeting that the 

 Kasauli Institute was clamouring for ticks from all parts of the country, and 

 suggested that members should preserve all they come across. 



The meeting then adjourned, the President promising to try, if he found 

 time, to prepare a note to read at the next meeting of the Society, showing the 

 position which Baluchistan occupies in regard to the geographical distribution 

 of the fauna of the world. 



At the meeting of the Society held on the 31st October 1907, the Honorary 

 Secretary reported the action taken on last month's proceedings, and placed 



