124 W. T. Blanford — On a neiv Cat from IE. Turhestan. [June, 



family, the remarkable genus SchizocepTiala is one of the most widely dis- 

 tributed not only of Mantidce but of insects in India ; and, in support of 

 his statement, gives a long list of localities from which he has received 

 either perfect or immature examples of the (?) single species 8. hicornis, 

 viz., the Karakpur hills in Behar, Devapm* and Chanda in the Central 

 Provinces, Kaladgi in the Bombay presidency, Kachh, Ceylon, Murshi- 

 dabad and Calcutta in Bengal, Pegu, &c. ; and quotes the old entomologist 

 Stoll, who describes and figm-es examples from Tranquebar and China ; 

 and Professor Westwood's ' Arcana Entom,' in which it is referred to as 

 an Asiatic form. Finally, he concludes either that the locality given by 

 M. de Saussure is erroneous or that that author's specimens, if really from 

 South Africa, represent a second species of the genus. 



8. Description of a new Gat (Felis Shawiana) from Eastern Turhistdn, 

 —By W. T. Blanpord, Esq., F. E. S. 



Mr. Blatstpoed said — The skin of a cat, which was amongst the 

 collections made by Dr. Stohczka in Eastern Turkestan, was too imperfect 

 to be satisfactorily identified. A much better specimen has since been 

 brought by Mr. Shaw from the same country, and of this the skeleton has 

 been kept, as well as the skin. It proves to be a new species resembling 

 Felis (Ohaus) caudata, of Western Turkestan in colouration, but having 

 a shorter tail and a differently formed skull. It is projoosed to name this 

 cat after Mr. Shaw, to whom we are so largely indebted for om* knowledge 

 of Yarkand and Kashghar. 



The description wiU be published in the forthcoming number of the 

 Journal Part II. 



The reading of the follovnng papers was postponed — 



1. OjL the Physical Geography of the Great Indian Desert, with esper 

 cial reference to the former presence of the Sea in the Indus Valley, and 

 the Origin and Mode of Formation of the Sand-hills. By W. T. BLANroBD, 

 Esq., F. R. S. 



2. Notes on the Inhabitants of the Nicobars. By F. A. de EoEP- 

 STOEFF, Esq., Extra Assistant Superintendent Port Blair and Nicobars. 



