Asiatic Society. 143 
of Victory, and the other Aeshara Sandhi, on Orthography, were 
presented in the name of A. Seton, Esq. by Capt. Lockett. 
The Pentateuch complete, printed with metallic moveable 
characters, 1815-17, was presented by the Rev. Mr. Marshman. 
This is another valuable proof of the useful and meritorious ex- 
ertions of those indefatigable individuals who compose the Baptist 
Mission at Serampore. ‘ 
A letter was read from a new institution, called the Société 
Polytechnique of the Island Bourbon, desiring to establish a 
correspondence with the Asiatic Society. 
A mathematical paper on the Cardioille was received from 
Capt. Grove, of the royal Danish engineers. 
A letter was read from Mr. Thomson, late private secretary to 
the Marguis of, Hastings, dated Calicut, Nov. 3, 1817, trans- 
mitting to the Society drawings of the Colra Manilla, and two 
sorts of sea snake. It is said that the Colra Manilla is known 
on the Malabar coast as the bangle snake, and this same is a 
translation of //ala Caripan, which in the Malabar language 
signifies the deadly bangle, or bracelet; it has two fang teeth, 
exactly like those of the Cobra Capello, and its bite is reckoned 
equally dangerous. ‘The length varies from six to twelve or 
fourteen inches; but the female, although rather larger, has less 
brilliant colours than the male. Mr. Thomson during his resi- 
‘dence in Bengal and the Upper Provinces had tried without suc- 
cess to obtain the snake called Colra Manilla. He observes that 
the late Gen. Gillespie received the bite of this serpent when he 
was plucking a peach, und in two or three minutes afterwards 
lost all sensation. The last thing he recollected was some per- 
sons calling out for eau de luce, which applied very copiously, 
both internally and externally, he believed, saved his life, but he 
added that his constitution was not fully restored in two or three 
_ years. Mr. Thomson during his stay.at Calicut accidentally dis- 
covered a species of silk-worm which feeds on the leaves of the 
wild mango-tree. Among the caterpillars he collected, for the 
purpose of obtaining butterflies, were some about the size of a 
man’s little finger, with heads and tails of the colour of bright 
coral, and bodies covered with silvery hairs rising from a black 
skin. ‘They soon left off feeding and became restless, endeavour- 
ing to crawl up the sides of the glass shade under which they 
were placed. The motion of their heads from side to side was 
constant and regular, and Mr, Thomson at length found that they 
had constructed ladders of most imperceptible threads, and when 
furnished with dry twigs they began to form their pods. The 
quality of the silk is coarser than that of Bengal, which may 
proceed from the nature of their food, as mulberry-trees are not 
! found 
