376 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL RIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXVIL 



Chart for 

 identifica- 

 tion of poi- 

 sonous 

 Indian 

 Snakes. 



Indian Deagonflies— Pakts III, IV, V and VI. By Major F.C. Fkasek, 

 I.M.S. 



The papers are intended primarily to give a brief outline of the Anatomy 

 and Biology of Indian Dragonflies and subsequently a description of the various 

 families, genera and forms found within Indian limits. 



The Cyperacece of the Bombay Presidency — Part II. By L. J. 

 Sedgwick, I.C.S. 



The papers pro-^dde a more up to date flora of this family (Rushes) adding 

 20 new species to the number given by T. Cooke in his work on the Flora of the 

 Bombay Presidency. 



A Revision of the Indian species of Rotala and Ammannia. By E. 

 Blatter and Prof. Hallberg — Part II. 



The articles are published with a view to correcting the many mistakes as to 

 identification, description and synonymy which have crept into the more recent 

 works on Indian Botany and amplify the number and description of species 

 as contained in the papers by Clarke oil Indian Lytharacea in Hooker's Flora of 

 British India (Vol. II, 1879). 



Some South Indian Coccids of Econobiic Importance, by T. V. Rama- 

 KRiSHNA Ayar, B.A., F.E.S.,F.Z.S. Government Entomologist, Madras. 



Describes 33 species of Coccids inhabiting S. India, with special reference 

 to these as Garden and Orchard pests. 



Expected Plague of Field Rats in 1920 by L. J. Sedgwick, I.C.S., 

 WITH A Note by Mr. N. B. Kinnear. 



Written in special reference to the recrudescence of plague of Field Rats- 

 in years immediately following periods of famine with a note by Mr. N. B. 

 Kinnear containing suggestions and recommendations in regard to the above. 



Articles of popular interest have been contributed by Mr. E.G. Stuart Baker, 

 in his serial on the Game Birds of India . Mr. T. R. Bell in his articles on the 

 Common Butterflies of India, and Lt.-Col. F. Wall, whose work on Common 

 Indian Snakes is concluded in the present Volume. In addition to the above 

 a number of interesting articles and notes on the Indian Fauna and Flora are 

 published. These articles are a contribution to the Society's principal object, 

 which is the spread of knowledge and the awakening of popular interest in 

 Nature study in this countrv. 



EDUCATIONAL. 



The past eighteen months have been of considerable importance as marking 

 a definite stage in the career of the Society. Hitherto the Society had existed 

 for the benefit of members and the spread of knowledge in regard to the Na- 

 tural History of India amongst those interested. During the period reported 

 on, the Society has extended its scope of work so as to include that of iateresting 

 the urflearned in the Natural History of India and indicating means by which 

 a knowledge of Natural History can be of practical value to every one in the 

 vast Empire of India. 



Medical research has secured to us a sure remedy against death from the bite 

 of a Cobra or a Russell's Viper. Statistics however tell us how often people 

 in tliis country die from the bite of a non-poisonous snake through fright alone. 

 The provision of easy, yet accurate, methods of identification between the 

 poisonous and non-poisonous snakes of India has therefore for a long 

 time been a great desideratum. The Society provided this so far as the 

 medical profession and scientifically trained people were concerned when they 

 published in 1907 Lt.-Col. WaU's "Treatise on Poisonous Terrestrial Snakes 

 of the Indian Empire." New editions of this work were pubhshed in 1913- 

 and 1917. In 1919 Lt. Hayes suggested that Col. Wall's book might be 

 simphfied so as to enable a key distinguishing between the poisonous and non- 

 poisonous snakes of India to be pubhshed in Chart form. His idea was elabor- 

 ated by Mr. S. H. Prater of the Societj^'s Museum and approved by Col. Wall. 



