November 23, 1830. 

 Dr. Waiing in the Chair. 



The following letter from F. .Tenkins, Esq., Secretary to the 

 Physical Committee of the Asiatic Society, was read : 



" Calčutta, 24th March 1830. 



" Sir, — I am directed by the President of the Physical Committee 

 of the Asiatic Society to present, in their name, to the Zoological 

 Society, a small collection of Indian Birds, made (for our Society) 

 by Capt. Franklin (one of its most zealous members) during a late 

 geological tour. 



" I am instructed at the šame time to statė, that it will afFord 

 pleasure to the Physical Committee of the Asiatic Society to pro- 

 mote as far as may be in their power, the vie\vs of the Zoological 

 Society in this country ; and they will be hapjiy to receive Commu- 

 nications of their \vishes on the subject. 



" The collection is in charge of Captain Franklin, who is pro- 

 ceeding in the ship Lady Nugent, to England. I am, &c. &c. 



"N. A. Vigors, Esq. Sec. Z. S. " F. Jenkins." 



The collection alluded to in the preceding letter was laid on the 

 table. It \vas fonned by Major Franklin, F. R. S. &c., on the 

 banks of the Ganges, and in the mountain chain of Upper Hindoo- 

 stan. It contained one hundred and seventy-one species, and was 

 accomi)anied by drawings of each of the birds, made \vhile they were 

 recent. Mr. Vigors briefly remarked on several of them, as afFord- 

 ing interesting illusti'ations of the extent of the geographical dis- 

 tribution of certain species. He declined to enter at any length 

 into the subject, which he expected would be fully treated of by 

 Major Franklin in a paper which that gentleman \vas preparing, 

 and \vhicli would be communicated to the Committee at an early 

 meetiūg. 



Mr. T. Bell exhibited a pair of living Acouchies, (Olive Cavy, 

 Penn., Dasyprocta Acuschy, Illig.) recently obtained by him from 

 Guiana. Although they are abundant in their native country, he 

 had never, before the arrival of these individuals, seen a specimen of 

 the species, nor vvas he aware of the existence of even a preserved 

 skin in any English collection. The Acouchy is readily distinguish- 

 able from the \vell-known Agouti by its smaller size, its lighter 

 and more elegant proportions, its deeper colours, and other cha- 

 racters, \vhich have been \vell pointed out by Barrere, Buifon, and 

 other naturalists. The most marked difFerence is found in the tails 

 of the two animals, that of the Agottti being little more than a 

 tubercle, •vvhile the tai! of the Acouchy is upwards of two inches in 

 length ; it is slender, and of equal diameter throughout its exteut. 



