1608 The Zoologist— March, 1869. 



orders), it seemed tbat at and near the Equator the species were comparatively dull in 

 colour, but brighter hues were assumed both in the Nnrth and South tropics. 



Mr. A. R. Wallace thought this held good in ihe East also. The beetles of Borneo 

 were generally dull in colour, whilst more brilliant forms were found both in Ceylon 

 and China, in Java and Australia. The excessive unifurraity in the character of the 

 vegetation was perhaps the cause of the prevailing dullness of the beetles found within 

 the equatorial belt. 



By an unanimous vote the Secretary was requested to express to the Rev. T. A, 

 Marshall, on behalf of the Members of the Society, their sympathy and condolence 

 with him on the recent loss, through the foundering of a ship between Melford Haven 

 and Barnstaple, of the whole of his library and manuscripts and collection of insects. 

 The destruction of his minute British Hyinenoptera belonging to groups but little 

 studied, and of the types of species characterized by Jlr. Marshall, was more than 

 a private misfortune, and was an irreparable loss to Science. 



Paper read. 



The following paper was read : — " Description of a nev Genus and Species of 

 PrioniiijB," by Mr. Edmund Thomas Higgins. 



The new form was named Omraatomenus sericatus, was allied to Tilboes and 

 Dorycera, and was described as connecting the Acanlhophorus group of the Old World 

 with the Derobrachus group of the New World. It was found near the mouth of the 

 Niger, and the Acanthophorus meg;il<)ps of Mr. Adam White, from Fernando Po, was 

 indicated as belonging to the genus Ommalomenus. — J. IV, D. 



The Elephant and the Raihvay. — A correspondent writing to the ' Indo-Euiopean 

 Correspondence' from Monghyr, under date the 21st ult., states that "A very serious 

 accident, brought about in a manner unknown and perhaps unheard of since the 

 establishment of railways, not only in India, but throughout the world, happened to a 

 train last evening at half-past 8 p.m., between Sahebgunge and Mirzapore, about 

 two miles from the latter Station. At that time the No. 5 down goods train was 

 approaching a mangoe tope, in which some seventy elephants were stationed. The 

 red lights glaring in the distance, and the noise and smoke of the engine, would seem 

 to have caused an awful consternation among the poor brutes, all of whom more or 

 less tried to break away from their fastenings. One large male, however, the strongest 

 and most courageous of the lot, became so infuriated that he broke bis chain and 

 rushed forward to intercept and encounter the supposed enemy. He had scarcely 

 placed himself on the line when the train was down upon him : he encountered it with 

 head and tusks; but animal strength proved no match for steam and machinery — the 

 poor brute was knocked down and killed on the spot, and the engine, rebounding, ran 

 oflf the line, and it and eleven carriages were capsized into a ditch. The fireman 

 luckily managed to jump off in lime, and the guard did the same, but the poor driver, 

 named Smith, remained in his place, and received injuries from which it is not 

 expected he will recover. 



