April 29, 1880] 



NATURE 



621 



conductivity and the electric conductivity of metals. These 

 researches are described to the Vierteljahrschrift of the Zurich 

 Naturforschcnde Gesellschaft, 1 879, Bd. xxiv. p. 252. 



T 



THE INDIA MUSEUM ZOOLOGICAL 

 COLLECTIONS 

 HE following letter on this subject has been sent us for 

 publication : — 



British Museum, March 17, 1 880 

 My Lord,— I am directed by the Trustees of the British 

 Museum to acquaint your Lordship that Dr. Giinther, the 

 Keeper of the Department of Zoology in this Museum, has 

 reported to them that he has completed the work of selecting 

 from the zoological collections of the India Museum the speci- 

 mens required for the British Museum, and of distributing the 

 remainder among other institutions. 



The accompanying extract from Dr. Giinther's report shows 

 in detail what has been done with those specimens which formed 

 part of the India Museum, and what is proposed with reference 

 to certain other specimens not included in the general transfer to 

 the Trustees. I have, &c, 



(Signed) Edw. A. Bond 



The Right Honourable the Secretary 

 of State for India, cV*., cVr. 



Zoological Collections from the India Museum 

 Extract from Report to the Trustees of the British Museum, by 

 Dr. Giinther, Keeper of the Department of Zoology. Dated 

 March 8, 1880 



1. For the British Museum have been selected and re- 

 tained : — 



672 Mammalia (mounted, or in skins, skeletons or skulls). 

 6,409 Birds. 

 125 Fishes. 

 28 Tortoises. 

 217 Mollusca. 

 83 Crustacea. 

 l,Si3 Insecta. 



52 Radiata. 



60 Jars and preparation of Economic Animal Froducts 

 (besides some objects of manufacture transferred to 

 the Ethnographical Department). 

 The Documents relating to the Zoological collections : — 



2. A selection of the remainder was offered in succession to 

 the Indian Museum, Calcutta ; the Indian Institute, Oxford ; 

 the South Kensington Museum ; the Dublin Museum ; the 

 Museum of Scarborough ; and the Museum of Maidstone ; the 

 three first having been specially mentioned by the India Office 

 as deserving j recedence of other institutions. 



a. The Agent of the Calcutta Mu-eum selected : — 



53 Mammalia and 3 Skulls of Mammals. 

 A series of named shells. 



3,140 Named Insects. 



A box of miscellaneous Insects. (The number of bird 

 skins to be sent is not yet determined.) 



b. Prof. Monicr Williams, on behalf of the Indian Institute, 

 Oxford, took the bulk of the remaining specimens, entering at 

 the same time into an engagement to return them to the Trustees 

 in case the project of the Institute were not carried out ; he 

 received : — 



118 Mammalia. 



37 Skulls and heads of Mammalia. 



49 Horns of Mammalia. 



2 Boxes containing various bones. 

 I Narwhal's tusk. 



1 Picture of a Flying Fox. 

 426 Stuffed Birds. 



3 Boxes of Bird-skins. 

 5 Birds'-nests. 



125 Bottles containing Reptiles and Fishes. 

 44 Stuffed Reptiles, 



2 Models of Snakes. 



I Case of Stuffed Snakes. 

 94 Stuffed Fishes. 



4 Models of Fishes. 



I Cabinet with Mollusks. 



1 Box with Shells and Corals. 



2 Boxes with Pearl Oysters, &c. 



2 Boxes with Gorgonia. 

 2 Cases with Crustaceans. 

 S Cabinets with named Insects. 

 10 Old Store boxes with various Insects. 

 2 Echinoderms. 

 I Neptune's Cup. 

 1 Cabinet with Miscellaneous Specimens; Eggs, Nest, 



Crustaceans, Shells, &c. 

 1 Box of Sterna of Hodgson's Birds. 

 <-. The South Kensington Museum took the whole of the 

 collection of Economic Animal Products left after the selections 

 for the British Museum and Kew had been made ; the latter 

 establishment receiving, by a special arrangement with the India 

 Office, all products of silk and lac. 



d. The Agent of the Science and Art Museum, Dublin, 

 selected : — 



7 Stuffed Mammals. 



S Skulls of Mammals. 



1 Horn of Cervus duvancelii, 



5 Tortoises. 



4 Bottles containing Reptiles. 



e. The Agent of the Philosophical Society of Scarborough 

 selected : — 



10 Mammalia. 

 /. The Agent of the Museum of Maidstone took the whole of 

 the remaining specimens, viz. : — 

 103 Stuffed Mammals. 

 10 Skulls. 

 Before commencing the work of distribution Dr. Giinther 

 received intimation from Dr. B ; rdvvood that certain specimens 

 were not included in the general transfer to the Trustees, viz. :— 



1. Four small cases of stuffed Birds from Kashgar and an 

 Ibex, belonging to Dr. Bellew, and lent by him to the Indian 

 Museum for exhibition. These specimens would be a valuable 

 acquisition to the British Museum, and therefore Dr. Giinther 

 has written to Dr. Bellew, who is at present in Afghani-tan, that 

 he would propose to the Trustees to continue the custody of 

 them until instructions shall have been received from him as to 

 their disposal. 



2. A case of Wild Dogs, lent for exhibition by Mr. 1. 

 Webber, whose address is unknown at present. Dr. Gimther 

 would propose to undertake the temporary custody of this case 

 until it is claimed by the owner. 



METEOR SHOWERS 1 



SEVERAL of the meteor streams observed at Bristol within 

 the last two years appear to be of such marked intensity as 

 to merit special description, and the following notes in connection 

 with live of these may possess some interest to observers. 



Radiant. 

 No. Epoch. a d Date of Maximum. 



I. ... July 30-Aug. I ... 32 + 53 ... July 31, 1878. 



II. ... luly 27-30 341 - 13 - J ul y 2 7> 28 > l8 7°-9- 



III. ... August 21-25 ... 291+60 ... August 21-23, 1879. 

 IV .. October 14-20 ... 31+9 ••• October 15, 1879- 

 V. ... August 8-1 1 44 + 25 ... August 8-11. 



I At the middle of July, 1S77. * few meteors were traced 

 from a radiant point at 36 + 47 , and on projecting a large 

 number of meteor tracks registered in foreign catalogues for the 

 period July 25-31, I found the same shower amply manifested 

 from 25 paths, though the radiant was 5° higher in declination. 

 A succession of clear nights occurred from July 26 to August 2 

 in 187S, and I obtained some lengthy observations. In about 

 twenty-two hours of watching more than 400 shooting stars were 

 seen in the eastern sky, chiefly amongst the constellations of Perseus, 

 Cassiopeia, and Andromeda. I saw many swift meteors leaving 

 short streaks and otherwise exhibiting much uniformity in then- 

 appearances and directions. The radiant point was not recon- 

 cilable with that of the well-known annual shower of Perseids. 

 It was sharply defined about 3° S, of the group x Persei, and the 

 maximum of the shower was witnessed on July 31, when 21 

 meteors were noted diverging from the point described. In all 

 I saw 63 meteors conforming to this stream ; they were short 

 and quick, always with streaks of 3° or 4" in the latter portion 

 of their flights. I looked for the shower again in 1879, and 



> Extract from a paper in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical 

 Society, vol. xl.. No. 3 (January, 1880). 



