EDITORIAL. 621 



Phillips' offer a very valuable one and accepted it with great gratitude, ^,h:. 

 Phillips' collections will form a most useful sujiplement to the material obtained 

 by Major Mayor in Ceylon before the war. 



Mr. C. Primrose also offered to collect for us in the Hukong valley and unad- 

 ministered Naga Territory, during the time that a Survey was being made in 

 those parts. This offer too is a very valuable one and was accepted Avith 

 pleasure, but unfortunately the Survey has had to be closed down indefinitely. 



In the last Joiu-nal we pubUshed an illustration of plaster casts of some common 

 Indian Snakes. The casts represent the Cobra, Russell's Viper, Russell's Earth 

 Snake, John's Earth Snake and the Checkered Water Snake. We are anxious 

 to have if possible a more or less representative collection of casts of the com- 

 moner Indian Snakes and the assistance of members is solicited in this con- 

 nection. What is needed are living specimens of the common Indian Snakes. 

 Adult examples of the following are especially needed. The Common Krait, 

 the Banded Krait, The Phoorsa or Saw-Scaled Viper {E. carinaia), The Royal 

 Snake {Z. diadema), Bronzed-Back Tree Snake [D. iristis). The Kukri Snake 

 (O. subgristeus) and The Banded Kukii Snake {S. arnensis). The snakes would 

 travel quite safely if enclosed in a etov.t wooden box with a few small holes 

 punctured in the lid, but in sending,, a specimen of a Krait or a Phoorsa the 

 Museum Staff would be very thankful if notification could be given on the 

 outside of the parcel as to the contents. Some j^ears ago a parcel was received 

 thi'ough the post at the Society's office— a cigar box Avith a bro-mi papei- 

 wrapping — no notice as to its contents. The box on being opened disclosed a 

 vigorous young Russell's viper ! 



Since the last Editorial was written we have welcomed to India Mi\ Kinnear's 

 successor, ]\Ir. B. C. Ellison. He joins us at a time of change and has a lot of 

 hard work before him. Plans for the best utihsation of the space placed at our 

 disposal in the Prince of Wales' Mxxseum have to be made, and Mi-. Wroughton 

 writes from the British Museum that the time has come for the demobilisation 

 there of the Mammal Survey material. He estimates that the demobilisation 

 papers will take our Curator and Assistant Curator a good six months to 

 prepare. First the claims of the National Museum have to be considered and 

 then the needs of the Society. Then the claim of the Indian Musemn and the 

 claims of the up-country Museums to at least a representative collection of the 

 Mammals collected in their locality. The ordinary work of the Society keeps 

 om' staff extremely busy and with the extra work indicated above thi'OA\-n on 

 their shoulders their time for leisure \vill be small. Mi-. Prater just before 

 Ml'. Ellison's arrival paid short visits to the Indian Museum, Madras Museum 

 and Nagpur Museum, and we take this opportunity on behalf of the Com- 

 mittee of thanking all those who helped to make his trip pleasant to him and 

 useful to the Society. 



