1832.] Extract from Dr. Royle's Address. 99 



to the vegetable impressions now on the table may be observed, in the 

 small collection of specimens of plants from thejhils of the neighbour- 

 hood, in my herbarium. 



Contents of Natural History Collection. 



The packages I am taking home, contain skins of most of the animals 

 of the Upper Provinces and of the hills. The Alpine hare, Pica of 

 Buffon, now formed into the sub-genus Lagomys, is perhaps the only 

 novelty, as I do not recollect its being enumerated as occurring in the 

 Himalaya in Griffith's Animal Kingdom, the latest systematic work on 

 the subject. The hill fox is nearly twice as large as that of the plains, 

 and in colour and general appearance bears considerable resemblance 

 to the English fox. The drawings of the Rokar, or barking deer? 

 and Dudhii, as well as of the Cashmerian goat, may be interesting. 



Of the specimens of birds, it may be sufficient to indicate the num- 

 ber of species comprized in the collection. 



Of the Accipitrine tribe, 29 species. 



Passerine, „.„. 115 



Scansores or climbers, 35 



Gallinaceous birds, 26 



Grallae, 36 



Anseres, 21 



In all 233 species. 



The pheasants, wood-peckers, jays, shrikes, cuckoos, and the 

 falcon tribe, are most numerous in species ; the waders and anseres are 

 incomplete, from the difficulty of procuring specimens. 



Among the insects of the hills, many genera correspond with those 

 of Europe. The species and genera of shells agree entirely with those 

 described by Mr. Benson, at a late meeting. The above are only a 

 few indications of the Natural History of the northern provinces of 

 India ; much remains to be done to get any thing approaching even to 

 a correct Natural History of any of the provinces of India, and it is to 

 be hoped, that many are employed in collecting materials towards the 

 completion of this very desirable object. 



Vegetable Philology. 



Lycium. — From the roots of different species of barberry, an extract 

 is prepared, which is well known throughout India by the name of 

 rasbt. In the Persian works on materia medica, lufion is given as the 

 Greek name of rasbt. This is no doubt intended for the \ VK i 0V of 

 Dioscorides, I. 1 33, as the Persian account is a pretty literal transla- 

 tion of the Greek one, and Dioscorides moreover describes the mode of 



o 2 



