124 Asiatic Society. [Feb. 



vails rather on the lower than upper surface of the neck, and in 

 respect to the body, is no where seen above, except in the shape of 

 some roundish dots of nearly pure white on the lesser wing coverts. 



The bill is black, shewing faintly a purplish tinge, which is more 

 clearly visible in the basal membrane of the bill, and on the naked 

 orbits. In front, the legs and feet are black green ; elsewhere, they 

 are yellowish. The claws are clear, lively yellow. The iris of the 

 eyes hoary grey or white. 



The female is as large almost as the male, from which she differs 

 only in having the bluish grey of the head less clear and pale, and in 

 wanting almost entirely the purplish tinge, which adds so much beauty 

 to certain parts of the plumage of the male, especially the upper part 

 of his back, and the lower part of his belly. This species is, I fancy, 

 questionless new ; and as it seems to be peculiar to these mountains, if 

 not to Nepal proper, Columba Nipalensis would be a very appropriate 

 name for it. 



Dimensions and weight of the Columba Livia and Columba Nipa- 

 lensis. 



C. L. C. N. 



feet, inches, feet, inches. 



Tip of bill to tip of tail, 11 1 2f 



Length of bill (to the gape), 1 % 1 



Ditto of tail, 5 6 



Ditto of a wing, .... 8$ 9 



Expanse of wings, 2 2 1$ 



Length of tarsi, If 1 ^ 



Ditto of central toe and nail, If 1£ 



Weight, Uioz. 12§oz. 



Valley of Nepdl, Dec. 1829. 



V. — Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. 



Wednesday Evening, the 2nd March, 1836. 



W. H. Macnaghten, Esq. V. P. in the chair. 



Lieut.-Col. J. Colvin, Engineers, Lieut. Col. L. R. Stacy, John Neave, 

 Esq. C. S., Lieut. A. Cunningham, Engineers, and Raja Vijaya Govinda 

 Singha Behadur, proposed at the last meeting, were ballotted for, and 

 duly elected members of the Society. 



Read a letter from Mr. Alexander Beattie, withdrawing from the 

 Society. 



Read a letter from W. H. Macnaghten, Esq. Secretary to the Govern- 

 ment of India, Political Department, acknowledging the receipt of a copy 

 of the communication from His Excellency Prince Esterhazy. 



Read the following reply from Government to the Secretary's letter, 

 written in pursuance of the resolution of the last meeting, in regard to 



