1833.] - Miscellaneous. 377 
ground being questioned; stated, they came out of the well about half way down ; 
but ocular proof was not to be obtained, from the sides of the well being stoned 
up with large blocks of sandstone. ‘To allow a point of so much interest to remain 
in doubt would have been highly culpable, and Dr. Spry immediately set about 
sinking a Shaft parallel to the well, that the locale might be effectually set at rest. 
After sinking through basalt, both soft and hard, he came, I understand, upon 
a bed of soft fatty red soil, containing nodules of lime, and presently reached the 
anxiously sought limestone bed, from which he had the satisfaction of disentomb- 
ing some rich specimens of shells. The bed is formed exactly 17 feet below the 
present surface. The shells are univalved of different sizes—some nearly as long 
as the hand, and all of them are what is termed reversed shells*. I understand, 
however, he is proposing to send an account of them to the Asiatic Society, and 
I shall not therefore venture to do more than announce the discovery to you.— 
Mofussul Ukhbar. j 
4.—INDIAN Zoo.oey. 
Extracts from the Proceedings of the Zoological Society, April 10, 1832. 
Mr. Gray enumerated the following species of the genus Paradoxurus, all of them 
as far as their habitat has been ascertained, natives of India and the Indian Islands. 
1. Paradoxurus Typus. F. Cuv., Mamm. Lith. 
Genette de France. Buff., Hist. Nat. Suppl. iii. t. 47. 
Viverra nigra. Desm., Mamm. p. 208. 
This species appears to be the Musk and Musky Weasel of Pennant’s Quadrupeds, 
Doth taken from Sir Er1sAn Impey’s drawings, but not the Piloselle Weasel of the 
same author, which has hairy soles. There is a variety now living in the Gardens 
of the Society, which may be called fuliginosus, it being nearly black in conse- 
quence of the length and number of the black hairs, which only show the fulvous 
under-fur between their roots. It has a very distinct pale spot above, and another be- 
neath, the eye. 
The three following species are only known by the drawings of Dr. HamItton and 
Gen. Harpwicke, the former of which were liberally lent to Mr. Gray by Dr. 
Witxins and Dr. HorsF1e1xp, in order to enable him to determine by actual com- 
parison the species described from them by M. de Buainvitie. The first two 
appear to agree with Par. Typus in having nearly naked ears, and may possibly 
be the only varieties of that species; the third approaches more nearly to Par. 
Muangas. 
2. Parapoxurus Pennantil. Par. pallidé cinerascenti-brunneus, fasciis ob- 
scuris saturatioribus lateralibus ; auriculis nudiusculis; orbitis albidis ; 
artubus caudeque dimidio apicali nigrescentibus. 
This animal is stated by Gen. Hardwicke, from whose drawings the character is 
taken, to be found in the upper provinces of Bengal, and to be very destructive to 
poultry and game. Its head and body measure 21, its tail 23,—making a total 
length of 44 inches. The ears and sides of the nose are pale flesh-coloured, 
* The same curious fact is observable in the silicified fossil shells lately presented by 
Dr. Spilsbury to the Asiatic Society.—Eb. 
2c 
