554 JOURNAL, BOMB A Y NATURAL HIS TOR Y SOCIETY, Vol. VIII. 



October. The letter further says that the men who picked up the eggs found numerous nests 



in one place on the Runn. 



Yours sincerely, 



RAO KHENG-ABJI. 



I think His Highness can claim to be the first who has discovered for certain 



that Phcenicopterus antiquorum does breed in India. 



CD. LESTER, Lieut., 



17th Bombay Infantry. 

 Cutch, 1st March, 1894. 



No. VI. -MEASUREMENTS OF TIGERS' SKULLS. 

 Referring to the note by Mr. W. S. Millard in the last number of the 

 Journal, I beg to send you the measurements of two tigers shot by me this 

 year in the Central Provinces. They were both carefully measured as they lay 

 on the ground before being skinned. Tiger No. 1 measured 9' 10" from nose 

 to tip of tail ; length of tail 3' ; the skull measures 13§"x9|". Tiger No. 2 

 measured 9' 10§" from nose to tip of tail ; length of tail 3' 3J" ; the skull 

 measures 14" x 10". 



H. F. CLEVELAND, Surg.-Capt., 

 5th Bombay Light Infantry. 

 Bombay, 1st March, 1894. 



No. VII.— MUSCULAR ACTION AFTER DEATH. 



While dealing with a big cobra the other morning, the quiver of his dying 

 tail recalled to my mind an incident, connected with one of his race, that 

 occurred to me several years ago. The narrative may be of interest to mem- 

 bers of the Society, although the curious circumstance described is possible of 

 explanation as a mere accident. 



I was out quail-shooting one morning with a friend at Dharwar when we put 

 up a cobra. A charge of small shot failed to stop him, and he escaped to his 

 hole on the maidan and was nearly in when another shot stopped him, and 

 he lay with his tail outside the hole. 



Wishing to examine him, we pulled gently and then firmly at that tail, but 

 could not stir him. Resolving to put on more power, we took a rumal from 

 one of the beaters and tied the tail to a stick and put on two men to pull. 

 The result was that the snake came in half, and with the jerk the tail portion 

 was unloosened from the stick and fell to the ground at a short distance from 

 the hole. 



Then the marvel followed. This piece of tail, about two feet in length, 

 proceeded to act as if endowed with sense. It wriggled towards the hole, but, 

 missing it went a foot or two beyond. Then it stopped and, as if it knew 

 it had gone wrong, wriggled back again, and this time struck the hole and 

 went down it and disappeared. 



I remember that we all stood aghast, and that my friend and I found little 

 encouragement to repeat our story in the station. 



