Memoir of Dr. T. C. Jerdon, by Sir Walter Elliot. 147 



When he had been about three and a half years at the 

 Presidency, he applied for a medical charge in the western 

 side of the Presidency, and was appointed Civil Surgeon of 

 Tellicherry, on the 12th February, 1847. Here for nearly 

 four years he investigated the fauna and flora of the great 

 tropical forests that clothe the Malabar coast, abounding in 

 forms peculiar to a region essentially different from the arid 

 plains of the central table land, and even from those of the 

 eastern jungles, which descend to the shores of the Bay of 

 Bengal. 



The prospect of attaining to the rank of surgeon, which 

 would involve his return to military duty, induced him to 

 resign his civil charge on the 3rd June, 1851. His promo- 

 tion took place on the 29th February, 1852, and he was 

 appointed to the 4th Light Cavalry, then in the Sagor and 

 Nerbudda territory, with which he served during the mutiny 

 of the Bengal army, where he saw some active service. 

 Peace having been restored, he went to Darjeeling on sick 

 leave for a twelvemonth, and made himself acquainted with 

 many new forms peculiar to the Himalayan range. He then 

 got himself appointed to a regiment in Burma (the 11th 

 Native Infantry), and joining via Calcutta, lost no time in 

 exploring this new field. 



He had for some time projected the publication of a series 

 of handbooks, or monographs of Indian zoology, and when 

 passing through Calcutta he sought and obtained the 

 patronage of Lord Canning to this undertaking, for the 

 exercise of which a favorable opportunity soon afterwards 

 offered. A mission to Tibet had been projected by the 

 Government of India, to be conducted by Captain E. Smythe, 

 and Jerdon was summoned from Burma in August of the 

 same year to accompany it in the capacity of naturalist 

 The plan was frustrated by the difficulty of obtaining pass- 

 ports from Pekin, to enable the party to cross the Chinese 

 frontier ; and meantime his services having been transferred 

 permanently to the Government of India, Lord Canning 

 was enabled to place him on special duty, for the publication 

 of his proposed Manuals of the Vertebrata of India. He 

 began with his favorite subject, Ornithology ; the first 

 volume of which, under the title of the " Birds of India," 

 was published in Calcutta in 1862, followed by the second, 

 in two parts, at intervals during 1863. 



In these volumes are described 1,008 species (equal to th© 



T 



