48 LETTER FROM MR. J. CALDWELL. [Jan. 27, 



January 27, 1863. 



G. R. Waterhouse, Esq., V.P., in the Chair. 



Mr. F. Buckland made some observations on the artificial repro- 

 duction of fishes, and upon the best mode of transporting their ova 

 without risk of injury. 



Mr. A. R. Wallace exhibited a nestling of Bueeros bicornis, taken 

 by his hunters from a nest in Sumatra, in January 1862. 



Dr. Sclater exhibited a collection of insects and freshwater shells 

 from Madagascar, transmitted to him by Mr. J. Caldwell, of Mau- 

 ritius ; and read the following notes respecting them, communicated 

 to him by Mr. Caldwell : — 



" The insects forwarded last mail were almost all collected 

 in the neighbourhood of Antananarivo, two other boxes full, col- 

 lected on my journey up, having been literally ground into dust by 

 the motion they were exposed to in being carried along the road. 

 The large Butterfly was, however, procured near Beforona, just 

 before entering the great forest of Alamazaotra. The large Water- 

 Beetles are those eaten by the natives at the capital, and sold com- 

 monly in the market ; and the one with the eggs on its back is, ac- 

 cording to the natives, the male, on the back of which the female 

 lays her eggs. I have not sent any of the common locusts, which 

 are also very extensively used as an article of food, not having been 

 able to procure any live ones, and those for sale being all fire-dried 

 and damaged. I have sent to the Society at least one of all the in- 

 sects I was able to save, having retained here only duplicates when 

 any existed. 



" There is a vast number of Butterflies in Madagascar, as I was 

 able to ascertain both on my last voyage and on this. I had col- 

 lected at least twenty more kinds, some remarkably brilliant, and 

 mostly very beautiful ; but it is worthy of remark that from Tamatave 

 to Antananarivo I noticed very little variety, notwithstanding the 

 vast difference of elevation — about 5000 feet. This holds good in 

 both the animal and vegetable kingdoms, there being of course many 

 exceptions to the rule, which is, however, pretty well established to 

 my satisfaction, and is cognate to a singular fact not usual in 

 countries where a conquering race is dominant, viz. that all over 

 Madagascar there is in reality but one language, though varied by 

 dialects in different parts. 



" None of the five kinds of Snakes we found last voyage and this 

 are venomous. Only one is large ; and of many specimens I mea- 

 sured before skinning I never found one exceed 60 inches in length. 

 This year they appeared to be scarce, and I could not procure one to 

 skin as I came down. In a box of skins that was lost on the road 

 was a large black Toad, the only one I saw, about 3^ inches long, and 



