PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY DURING THE QUARTER. 63 



Minor Contributions. 



From Mr. W. W. Squire, Mr. H. Sinwald, Mr. E. N. Mant, Mr. James Conroy, 

 Mr. F. L. Maguire, Mr. H. Hatch, Mr. M. C. Turner, Colonel Walcott, Mr. R. 

 Gilbert, Mr. P. R. Wilson and Dr. Weir. 



Contributions to the Library. 



" Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, New York," in exchange 3 

 " Annals and Magazine of Natural History" (No. CVL), H. Littledale ; and " Journal 

 of the Asiatic Society of Bengal" (Nos. I., II., III.), in exchange. 



Exhibits. 



Tigers' skins, with four unborn cubs, and two panthers' skins, Mr. Sarjant ; one 

 head and skin of doe antelope, with horns, 22^ inches in length, His Highness the 

 Maharaja of Jodhpore ; and one wild Buffalo's head, mounted by Mr. E. L. Barton, 

 and shot by Mr. J. D. Inverarity. 



The Honorary Secretary announced that H. H. the Maharaja of Rutlam had sent 

 a donation of B.s. 50 to the Society. 



Owing to the indisposition of Dr. D. Macdonald his paper on Cobra-bites was 

 postponed. 



Mr. J. H. Steel (Bombay Veterinary College) then read the following paper, 

 illustrating his remarks with diagrams and spirit specimens : — 



I wish to introduce to you this evening a number of zoological characters who 

 have a more or less bad reputation, and, because they love darkness rather than 

 light, are presumed to be workers of evil. Whether the bad name these organisms 

 have received, and the aversion with which they are looked on by their fellow- 

 animals, men, is just or no, will be explained in the sequel, let it for the present be 

 remembered that doubtless pai'asites from their own particular point of view are 

 highly respectable characters. As even the study of criminal tribes and outcastes 

 has a value and much interest, and the pursuit of such specimens of humanity is 

 not pleasant except for the zest of the chase and love of danger, which most men 

 experience more or less, so the shikar of parasites of higher animals is at first not 

 pleasant ; but when employed in this way soon one forgets any offensiveness of 

 surroundings and feels keenly somewhat as does the foxhunter while the covert is 

 being drawn, or the shikaree when the beaters are at work. And this research has 

 high value, for, strange as it may seem to some of you, these small inhabitants of 

 our bodies are more dangerous foes to the lives of higher animals than are even 

 the tiger or the cobra. For very numerous and fatal diseases are due to parasites ; 

 thus the rot of sheep, which often ruins sheep-farmers, is due to "Flukes" in the 

 liver ; the " Pip," which carries off poultry, depends on worms in the windpipe ; and 

 the Trichina, which mankind obtain from pork, and which often kills the human 

 being unfortunate enough to obtain it, is a small round worm barely visible to the 

 naked eye. 



" We really know less of the habits of internal parasites than of the formidable 

 " denizens of the jungle," whereas common sense and policy would suggest to us to 

 know more with a view to their avoidance and extirpation, as they are our more 

 bitter foes. I wish to direct your attention to the way in which these creatures 

 " live, move, and have their being ; " and with a view to introducing the subject have 

 selected what to parasites is a geographical region, the equine organism or system 

 of the horse. It is, as concerns our internal parasites, not a very favourito countrv 



