56 R. S. Broiigli — On a Case of Jjiglitning. [Feb. 



the wings plaited and folded up in this complex manner present a superficial 

 resemblance to the surface of a much convoluted brain or to a portion of a 

 transverse section of a Labyrinthodont tooth. This mode of development 

 of the wings obtains in all Orthopterous insects, upon larvae of which these 

 observations are mainly based ; at least in some Neuroptera {Termes) ; 

 and probably universally in the groups which Westwood long ago collec- 

 tively termed the Homomorphic Insecta." 



3. — List of the Mollusca collected hy Dr. J. Anderson, in Yunan and Tip- 

 per JBurmaJi, loith descriptions of the new species. By Gr. Nevill, 

 C. M. Z. S. 



This paper will be printed in the Journal, Pt. II, No. 1, for the cur- 

 rent year. 



4. — List of the 3iollusca collected hy the late Dr. Stoliczha lohen attached 

 to the Embassy under Sir D. Forsyth in YarJcand and Ladak, ivith 

 descriptions of the neiu species. By Gr. Nevill, C. M. Z. S. 

 This paper will be printed in Journal Part II, No. 1, for the current 



year. 



5. — On a case of Lightning ; with an Evolution of the potential ,and 

 quantity of the Discharge in Absolute Measure. — By R. S. Beotjgh. 

 The S. W. monsoon of 1871 may be considered to have been charac- 

 terized in the neighbourhood of Calcutta no less by its copious and pro- 

 tracted rainfall than by the violence and frequency of its thunderstorms. 

 During the progress of one of these storms in the early part of the mon- 

 soon, one of the trees standing near the gate of the compound of the 

 building, then occupied by the Sadr Diwani Adalat, and now used as the 

 European Military Hospital, in Lower Circular Road, was struck by light- 

 ning. The branches of this tree overhung the wires of the Telegraph line, 

 from which they were only about a foot distant. The discharge passed from 

 the tree to the wires (of which there are four), broke fourteen double cup 

 porcelain insulators, and passed to earth through the iron standards on which 

 the wires are supported. 



The one ends of all the four wires were connected to earth through 

 instruments in the Calcutta Telegraph Office, at a distance of about 5^ miles 

 from the locality of the accident. The other ends were connected as follows 

 to earth through instruments : the first at the Telegraph Workshops, a 

 distance of less than ^ mile ; the second at the Lieutenant-Governor's resi- 

 dence, less than \ mile ; the third at Atchipur, less than 14 miles ; and 

 the fourth at Diamond Harbour, less than 25 miles. At the moment of the 

 discharge nothing extraordinary was noticed at any of these offices. 



