184 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXII. 



number of specimens to different Museums in this country, and it 

 is hoped that in the next Journal we shall be able to report that 

 this has been done. 



Some misconception appears to still exist as to the Survej- and 

 the reasons for which it was commenced, and we should like to taker 

 this opportunity of further explaining its object. The Survey was 

 started so that a complete collection, as far as possible, could be got 

 together of specimens, prepared in an up-to-date manner with 

 skulls and full data, to enable the species and races of our Indian 

 Mammals to be carefully worked out both as regards their dis- 

 tribution and relation to one another, and also to supply different 

 Museums here and at home with sets of specimens of which they 

 were much in need. When Dr. Blanford wrote his excellent 

 Volume on the Mammalia in the Fauna of British India, he was 

 much handicapped by the want of specimens, and in consequence 

 overlooked certain distinct species and races. In many cases he 

 had only spirit specimens to work with, which can hardly be called 

 satisfactory. Should at any time a second edition of the Mammalia 

 be brought out, there will be at hand a large collection of speci- 

 mens which will enable the author to revise the work in a mosh 

 up-to-date manner. 



We have been told that some members consider that the Survey 

 is encroaching on the field of the private or amateur collector, and 

 taking away the hobby of a man who has to spend his life in the- 

 districts. This is a great mistake, and members can rest assured 

 that even after our collectors have been in a district there is still 

 a large amount of work to be done. It is impossible for our 

 collectors to visit every part of the different districts and to make 

 an absolutely complete collection of the species to be found. At 

 some seasons it is very difficult to obtain specimens in traps and at 

 others certain kinds leave the district, which means that it is very 

 difficult to obtain a representative collection. As it is impossible' 

 to arrange to visit all places at the best time some districts are 

 bound to be much better collected in than others. Again, in 

 many districts it is almost impossible to get any assistance from 

 the jungle tribes, while in others they come forward readily with 

 specimens in return for rewards. From this it will be seen that 

 it is very difficult or practically impossible not to miss things in 

 some places. 



In the present number of the Journal there is an excellent 

 instance of how easy it is just to miss even a very distinct new 

 species. Mr. Shortridge, when working in Dharwar District,, 

 collected on the Belgaum border, and some months later one of the 

 Society's Museum assistants was sent to Castlerock on a holiday 

 with instruction to make a general collection of specimens of all 

 kinds. While there he by chance heard of a cave, about 15 miles 



