1842.] Asiatic Society. 199 



The following contribution was presented by Mr. W. Masters, of the La Mar- 

 tiniere, for the Museum of the Society : — 



A bottle containing a double child joined breast to breast, with four legs, four 

 hands, one face, four ears, one on each side of the face, and two in close juxta- 

 position at the back of an apparently double head : the sex is male in each, and 

 perfect: the limbs and features are natural, and without distortion. "This 

 monster," writes Mr. Masters, " was the offspring of a Malabar woman, and born 

 about five years ago in the vicinity of Madras; it died a few hours after its birth. 

 After its birth people flocked from all quarters, under superstitious impressions, to 

 present gifts to the mother." 



The Curator read his Report for the past month, as follows : — 

 Report for February. 



Sir, — During the short time that has intervened since our last meeting, specimens of the follow- 

 ing Mammalia and Birds have been added to the Society's Museum. 



Mammalia. 



Viverra Basse, Horsfield, or V. Indica of M. Is. Geoffroy St. Hilaire, but not V. Indica of Bri- 

 tish authors ; Viverricula Rasse, Hodgson. This, with its near ally, the V. Indica of British natu- 

 ralists, are both common in this neighbourhood, and unquestionably distinct. I also know a third 

 species, which I believe is from Northern India, and hitherto undescribed. For this and the next, 

 the Society is indebted to the kindness of Dr. Wallich. 



Paradoxurus typus, a remarkably fine old male, of a much deeper ground-colour than that no- 

 ticed in my last report. 



Meminna Indica : the female which was presented to the Society last month having died, it has 

 been added to our collection of stuffed specimens. 



Ovis Nahoor, Hodgson. I have procured a handsome skin of this species, more deeply coloured 

 than usual, and having the generic markings on the limbs, &c. very black and well defined. 



Aves. 

 Athene lugubris; Strix lugubris, Tickell, J. A. S. i. 572. A common species in this neighbourhood. 



Timalia Horsfieldi, J. and S., III. Orn., pi. cxix: male and female. The habitat of this 

 species is accordingly now ascertained, it being not a rare bird in the vicinity of Calcutta. The 

 figure alluded to is defective, in so far as that the orbits are conspicuous bright orange, and the irides 

 pale brownish-yellow ; bill black, having the conch-like membrane of the nostrils wax-yellow, 

 and the legs are of a tolerably bright orpiment-yellow. I possessed these birds alive for some days, 

 and noticed that they frequently placed one foot upon their food, while they picked it with the 

 bill. In several respects, they much reminded me of Calamophilus ; but, on dissection, I found 

 neither the powerfully muscular gizzard, nor the large craw, or dilatation of the oesophagus, charac- 

 teristic of that very distinct genus ; which latter Mr. Swainson still strangely confounds with the 

 Tits— Parus (Class. Birds, i. 43), whereto I cannot perceive that it is at all allied, either internally 

 or externally, in habits, nidification, eggs, voice, or indeed aught else.* 



Alaudidce. The species of Indian Larks are extremely difficult to identify from the descriptions 

 of them which have been hitherto published ; these being, for the most part, much too concise and 

 deficient in the needful details to be satisfactory. I have obtained four species in this neighbour- 

 hood, which are as follow : — 



1. Mirafra Assamica, M'Clelland and Horsfield, P. Z. S., 1839,162; being probably also the 

 species doubtfully assigned to M. Javanica by Mr. Jerdon, Madr. Jour. xi. 33, in which case, the 



* Since writing the above, I have obtained other live specimens of Timalia Horsfieldi, which I 

 have kept some weeks ; and continued observation of them has satisfied me, notwithstanding the 

 anatomical differences above noted, that Calamophilus approaches much nearer to this group than 

 to any other with which I am acquainted. — E. B. 



