Notices and Proceedings of Scientific Societies. 335 



Society of Natural History of the. Mauritius Twenty- seven members 



compose the society, founded at the Mauritius. M. Charles Telfair is the 

 president, MM. Delisse and Bojer, vice-presidents, and M. Julien Desjar- 

 dins, secretary. A monthly meeting takes place for the reading of memoirs, 

 dissertations, or notes on indigenous productions. The object of the society 

 is, to be able one day to present to the friends of the natural sciences, a 

 catalogue raisonnee of all the different objects spread with so much magnifi- 

 cence over the mountains of the Maiu'itius, in its forests, and on its coasts. 

 Its ulterior object is to give a physical description of the island, without 

 neglecting the improvements in agriculture and rural economy. The presi- 

 dent, M. Bouton, and the secretary, read three discourses at the first meetings 

 and M. Delisse, sen. a memoir on the introduction of Cassia alata into the 

 island ; and on the properties of that plant, commonly known under the name 

 of Caleping. He informed the society, that he first cultivated it in thi& 

 colony, M. Delisse, jun. read a description of a fish, the species of which 

 are very common in those seas. He presented to the society a drawing of 

 one ; it is a chsetodon, remarkable for its colours. 



This first sitting, remarkable for the great zeal shewn by the members, 

 justifies the hope that this society, the first of the kind established in the 

 island, will enjoy great prosperity, and will become known by works, the 

 results of which will have a demand on the public interest. It particularly 

 relies on the activity of the president and his extensive knowledge. 



The second sitting of this society took place on the 22d of November, at 

 the president's house. Four papers were there read, in the following order : 

 1. Professor Bojer, who is acquainted with every branch of the natural 

 sciences, read an introduction to the science of ornithology ; and in order to 

 make this study easy to young members of the society, and even to those 

 who do not belong to it, he presented a large table of the classification of 

 birds, in which he developed, by means of many figures made with care 

 and accuracy, the different characters of the orders and families which com- 

 pose this class of animals. 2. M. Bouton read a memoir on the distribution 

 of vegetables in the island ; he gave an interesting exposition of the 

 different families of plants which grow at more or less considerable 

 heights ; he spoke of those which thrive on the madreporic shores of the 

 coasts, and of those which only flourish on the basaltic summits. 3. M. 

 Julien Desjardins presented to the society an adder caught alive in the 

 town on the 10th of last month. The description of this reptile was 

 preceded by an introduction, in which he described the method adopted by 

 naturalists in the classification of these animals. A black caught this animal 

 at Caudan, in presence of several witnesses ; it lived for thirty-six hours. 

 Its length is nineteen inches and a half. It is a very harmless species. The 

 adder is common in India ; and it is probable that this individual had been 

 brought from thence three years ago among some leeches. Such a discovery 

 is interesting ; and without the existence of the Society of Natural History, 

 it would have been unknown that this island, for the first time, harboured 

 serpents of India, and it is clearly proved that it is not unfavourable to 

 them. They may multiply here as elsewhere ; they find here nourishment, 

 and on this account it would be proper to prevent the introduction of these 

 animals into the island. The fourth paper was read by M. Lienard on a 

 molluscum of the geims Dolahella, which was found in the island at the 

 Tonneliers, in large quantities. He gave a detailed description of this 

 animal. 



The members who have presented objects of natural history are MM. 

 Lienard, sen. and jun. Dury, Lemaire, Johnston, and Dr Robert Egall. 



