SOME HINTS ON NATURAL HISTORY SPECIMENS. 643 
description of the species, genera and families, no attempt has 
been made to include more than the briefest reference to the 
geographical range of each species, and no such thing as habits 
or life-history is, as a rule, even mentioned. Former publica- 
tions—such as Dr. A. Giinther’s “ Reptiles of British India ”—did 
of course include something of these very important items in 
our knowledge of the animals that inhabit the country; but the 
Chelonia appear to have been strangely neglected by the majority 
of Indian naturalists.) Why exactly this should be, it is difficult 
to say, for tortcises and turtles, to my mind, form quite as inter- 
esting a study as snakes. Yet every one who comes across a snake 
is always ready to secure it and send it down to replenish the 
Society’s already excellent collection, whereas our museum contains 
no collection whatever of the Indian Chelonta. Here then is another 
opportunity for any of our enthusiastic members to assist with really 
valuable work, not only by the contribution of specimens, but by the 
collection of field-notes on the various species that are found in their 
locality. As an instance of the kind of thing that is useful, and asa 
sort of standard for the beginner to aim at following up, I should 
here like to refer to the series of papers that appeared in the first 
three volumes of our journal under the title of “‘The Waters of 
Western India” by a member who wrote over the nom de plume 
of ‘‘ Keswal.” Seldom have we had the chance of publishing papers 
so interesting and instructive as these, which at the same time 
contained such a mass of really useful information about the animals 
mentioned therein. The turtles of the districts dealt with in these 
articles are by no means forgotten, and, I fancy, the few pages there 
devoted to them contain more information than has appeared in all 
our subsequent volumes, 
However, to return to our subject from the point of view of the 
collector. There is not much to be said on the capture of specimens 
included in the order under consideration. You will, I fancy, do best 
by acquainting the natives of the neighbourhood with your require- 
ments, and especially can fisher-folk assist with the water-frequenting 
kinds, as they are constantly getting them in their nets, much to their 
annoyarice. 
When you have secured your turtle, there is, however, in his case, 
one difficulty that confronts you, and that is the killing of him without 
Ut 
