1916 Thk Zoologist — November, 1869 



perceived thai there is a considerable excrescence in the centre of it, which is no other 

 than a diminutive horn ; and this illustrates the rudimentary third horu which has 

 occasionally been observed in different two-horned species of the genus, Inclusive of 

 the Asiatic E. sumatranus. The anterior horn of the last-named species occasionally 

 attains an extraordinary length and high amount of regular curvature backward, and 

 such an example of it in the British Museum was formerly considered by Dr. Gray to 

 denote a peculiar species, which he named E. Crossii; but I have seen the horns of 

 the same species upon the head, sufficiently developed in like manner to show at a 

 glance that the alleged R. Crossii must be put down as a synonym of R. sumalranus. 

 I learn from Professor Schlegel that B. sumatranus inhabits Borneo as well as 

 Sumatra, and it is likewise generally diffused over the Indo-Chinese countries and 

 Malayan peninsula, as is also the lesser single-horned R. sondaicus, i.e. that formerly 

 supposed 10 be peculiar to Java ; whereas the great R. indicus seems to be confined to 

 the base of the eastern Himalaya, inclusive of the valley of the Brahmaputra and the 

 hills immediately southward of (hat valley, where the three Asiatic species would 

 appear to meet. I once received satisfactory information of the two-horned R. suma- 

 tranus having been killed in Assam, where it is considered an extreme rariiy ; but 

 I have been quite unable to obtain authentic information of R. indicus having been 

 observed in any province of British Burma, where R. sondaicus has been repeatedly 

 mistaken for it, as likewise in the Bengal Sundarhans. [This note is published 

 anonymously in the 'Field' newspa])er, hut I am favoured with the name of the 

 writer, and know him to he an excellent zoologist. — E. N."] 



Dimensions of large Elephant. — I send you the dimensions of a rogue elephant 

 killed by a friend in the Wynaad Jungles, not long ago. As I do not remember my- 

 self ever hearing of a wild elephant, fairly measured, of such a size, I send it to you 

 in case some of your readers may he able to inform me on the point. Height at 

 shoulder, taken by three cross sticks, 1 1 feet 9 inches; length all over, from extremity 

 of trunk to root of tail, 25 feet 5 inches; eye to tip of trunk 7 feet 7 inches; eye to 

 root of tail 13 feet 4^ inches; tail 4 feel 6^ inches; length of tusks 5 feet 2 inches. 

 I am aware ihit the tusks are nothing unusual, but, out of a great many elephants 

 1 have seen, I never heard of one of such bodily bulk. [Although I have no reason 

 whatever to doubt this statement, which appears anonymously in the ' Field,' I think 

 it most important that it should he authenticated with a real name. — E. iV] 



Living Birds sold nl Moscow. — Here and at St. Petersburgh there are a good 

 many shops where live birds are sold, and even a small market for them. Many of 

 our rarer British birds may be seen at these places, such as the nutcracker, pine gros- 

 beak, crested tit, shore lark, bluethroated warbler, pied flycatcher, golden oriole and 

 waxwing, and even large birds, as the crane, stork, raven and buzzard. Yesterday 

 I saw a white quail: the man asked twenty-five roubles for it, equivalent to £3 15s., 

 which will give some idea of the value the Russians set on an albino. — J. H. Gurney, 

 Jan.; Moscow, September 13, 1869. 



Ornithological Notes from Henley-on-Thames. — 1869. April 29. A cream-coloured 

 thrush shot near Nettlebed Wood : there was a white one in company with it, which 

 foiluuatcly escaped. May 3id. Swifts about iu some numbers. 7th. Stonechal's nest 



