xviii Report on the Zoological Survey of India 



specimens from Putao (Hkamti Long) on tlie extreme northern frontier 

 of Burma, a country of which the aquatic fauna was hitherto quite 

 unknown. The collection was presented by Dr. Murray Stuart of the 

 Geological Survey of India and has been described by Dr. B. L. Chaudhuri 

 in Vol. XVI of our " Eecords." Of even greater interest is the collec- 

 tion from the Inle Lake, which includes the type-specimens of three 

 new genera. The collection from Seistan, although the number of new 

 species is small, is of bionomical interest as illustrating an instance 

 in which a mountain fauna has accommodated itself to life in a com- 

 paratively low swampy basin. 



MoUusca.^ — As I have already pointed out, the accessions in this 

 group have been particularly large and important. In addition to 

 those obtained by members of the department, we have to thank parti- 

 cularly Captain Froilano de Mello, the enthusiastic Director of the 

 Bacteriological Department of the Government of Portuguese India, 

 who has entered with characteristic energy into our scheme for a survey 

 of the freshwater molluscs and has sent us numerous specimens from 

 the different districts under Portuguese rule in India. We are equally 

 indebted to Dr. H. H. Marshall, Port Medical Officer in Rangoon, from 

 whom collections of freshwater, brackish-water and terrestrial Burmese 

 species are continually being received, and to Lieutenant-Colonel W. H. 

 Lane, Captain C. L. Boulenger and Bombardier R. Hodgart for speci- 

 mens of recent and subfossil molluscs from Mesopotamia. By far the 

 largest collection of molluscs, however, that has reached the Indian 

 Museum recently from extraneous sources is an extraordinarily complete 

 series of the species of the eastern part of Sumatra sent us by Mr. 

 J. E. A. den Doop. This collection is particularly valuable because 

 it includes large numbers of specimens preserved in alcohol as well as 

 dry shells. The bulk of it will ultimately be sent to the Amsterdam 

 Museum, but a complete set will, thanks to Mr. den Doop's generosity, 

 remain in Calcutta. The importance of collections of the kind to the 

 study of malacology can hardly be exaggerated and Mr. den Doop 

 is to be both thanked for and congratulated upon the completeness of 

 his field investigations. A comprehensive collection of British fresh- 

 water shells has been received in exchange from Mr. A. S. Kennard, 

 including specimens of several rare local and subfossil forms. It will 

 be of great value in working out the aquatic pulmonates of the north- 

 western Himalayas, the details of habitat given on the labels being parti- 

 cularly useful in this respect. A much smaller but equally interesting 

 set of Chinese specimens from the collection of the late Fr. Heude, 

 has also been received in exchange through the kind offices of the Rev. 

 Fr. Courtois, S. J., from the Seikeiwei college near Shanghai. I can- 

 not express how greatly I have been indebted to Lieutenant-Colonel 

 H. H. Godwin-Austen for the encouragement and assistance he has 

 giv^en me in enlarging and arranging our collection of the Indian 

 Mollusca. 



Insecta. The most comprehensive single collection of insects 

 obtained in the last three years is that made by Dr. and Mrs. Kemp in 

 the Garo HUs. Only the Rhynchota, some of the Diptera and a 

 few of the Lamellicorn beetles have yet been worked out, but the 



