,128 New Genus of Mammalia called Uijdromh. 



government gazette at Fort St, George, Dec. I9, 1S04, 

 being a letter t'rom the head braniin to the physician-general 

 at Madras.- 



To Br. James Anderson. 

 sin, 

 I beg leave to assure you that I am an eve-v,-itness, as 

 well as many other bramins, of that wondertul, healthful, 

 immortal vaccine inatter, discovered on the nipples and 

 udders of pome cows in England by that illustrious doctor, 

 Jenner; whereby that loathsome, painful, and fatal small- 

 pox hai> been prevented attacking persons in India as well as 

 in England. Numbers of children and others have been 

 inoculated by us without any injury whatever, except a. 

 small blemish or spot in the place where the matter is ap- 

 plied, generally on the arm. 



This preserving power should be experienced not only by 

 the honorary but also those of the low cast. On which 

 account permit me to observe, that the term couj-pox, adver- 

 tised in our T-imul tongue by vou, translated comanj, should 

 be altered, not to give room for the prejudices of the very 

 common people ; and it should be styled, no doubt, a drop, 

 nf 7>eclar from the exuberant udders of some cows in Eng- 

 land, and not by any appellation similar to the humour 

 discharged from the feet of diseased cattle in this country. 

 I am, sir, with much respect. 

 Your faithful, obedient, very humble servant, 

 Dec. 19, 1804. MOO-PE-RAL STEE-NE-VA-.S4-CHA-:Rr» 



XLIX. Memoir on a new Genus of Mammalia called Hi/' 

 dromis. By E- Geoffroi (SAiNT-HiLAtEE).* 



X HIS new genus, introduced into the system, is (com- 

 posed of three species, two of which have never been 

 described, and the third cannot be exactly known but bv 

 means' of the illustrations which 1 am about to give. It 

 was first found in the waters of Chili by Molina, who pub- 

 lished an account of it under the American name of coijpou : 

 it has smce been met wlih only by Felix d'Azzara, who has 

 given a long description of itf under the name ol quouijia, 

 by which it is known in the province of Tucuman. 



A long time, however, alter these travellers h.ad disco- 

 vered the coypouy it had engaged the attention of Commer^ 



* From Awwir': 'It: Museinn d'Hisfoire Naturelic, No. 31. 

 f tlistoirc do5 Quadrupedes du Paragmy, vol. ii. art. 2. 



