394 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL KIHT. SOCIETY, Vol. XXI. 



It is clear then, that if any advance in the systematic Mamma- 

 logy of India is to be made, not only series of specimens of each 

 animal from each of a great number of different localities, in which 

 the local conditions differ, are necessary bnt especially so from those- 

 localities, whence came the specimens to which names were given 

 by the workers of the last centtirj". 



The only chance of obtaining such series of ' topotypes ' is a 

 S3^stematic collection by an expert giving his whole time and 

 intelligence to the work. The Bombay Natural History Societ}-, 

 recognising this, has organised a fund to meet the cost of a 

 Mammal ' Survey ' of India. Mr. G. C. Shortridge, who has 

 already done good collecting work in Australia, Java, Borneo, 

 &c., has recently left England to take part in this survej'. While 

 Mr. Crump, who was on the spot, has already begun work for the 

 Society, the first fruits being the Collection from E. Khandesh 

 with which this paper deals. 



It is not expected nor intended that this survey shall cover the 

 whole field of mammalogy in India. Its object, as I have tried to- 

 show, is to obtain a solid framework foundation of knowledge on 

 which to build. The desirability of further collections by private- 

 individuals will not be lessened but increased, for we shall have 

 obtained data which will enable us to deal with specimens so- 

 collected. The observations of Field Naturalists are quite useless^, 

 unless they can be associated with the exact name of the animal 

 under observation. I am insisting on this point because several 

 Members of the B. N. H. Societj*, of which I am myself a Life 

 Member and also one of the earliest recruits, have expressed, 

 to me disapproval of the idea of the employment of paid 

 Collectors, which they held would take from private individuals 

 an interesting hobby, whereas if rightly regarded, it will add 

 interest to their hobby. I trust that one result of this survey 

 will be to bring in many recruits to the study of Mammals, and^ 

 also additional members to our Societj^. 



It has been suggested to me that the preparation and publica- 

 tion of provisional reports of the collections made will be waste of 

 time and money. With this view I cannot agree. If, as I trust, 

 a fair percentage of members come to take an interest in their 



