1842.] Asiatic Society. 599 



skull and antlers of the species, of which there is a fine specimen in the London Unit- 

 ed Service Museum, and a frontlet in the private collection of Mr. Hill : there was 

 also previously an example of the skull of this animal in the Museum of this Society. 

 In Proc. Zool. Soc, for 1831, 45, the late M. Desjardins enumerates Cervus Elaphus 

 in his Catalogue of Mauritius animals, which, if referring to the present species, as 

 must be supposed, is a strange error. Duvaux, in his 'Letters from the Mauritius' 

 (p. 295), remarks, that "the Stags [of that island] are muchsmaller, and of a greyer co- 

 lour, than those of Europe, and are supposed tohave been introduced by the Portuguese." 

 A friend who has hunted them can merely inform me that they have a remarkably 

 shaggy coat, but at once recognized the Society's former specimen above alluded to 

 as belonging to the species. The antlers are proportionably large, and might be 

 mistaken by even a practised eye for those of the Sambur (C. Hippelaphus ) ; but the 

 skull is considerably smaller than in that animal, and accordingly the antlers are 

 nearer together at base : in every specimen which I have seen, the inner tine of the 

 terminal fork is very much longer than the outer one, being the reverse of what ob- 

 tains in the common Spotted Axis, while in the Sambur and Jerrow, although this 

 character is variable, the relative proportion is generally as in the present species, but 

 to a less extent. In size the skull in the United Service Museum is larger than that 

 which we possess, measuring (according to my notes) thirteen inches in total length, 

 or from occipital ridge to the tip of nasals, over the curves, twelve inches; orbits apart 

 posteriorly five inches, anteriorly four inches and a quarter ; palate five inches, and 

 two inches wide posteriorly. The pedicles of the antlers are one inch long, measur- 

 ing on the inside, and those of the three frontlets before me are equally elongated, 

 although the antlers are of full dimensions ; the latter measuring, in the London 

 specimen, thirty inches long, six inches and a half round above burr, and four inches 

 and three quarters in the beam; the corresponding measurements, in the three 

 specimens before me, being thirty, seven, and four and a half inches, — twenty-eight, 

 seven and a quarter, and four and a half inches,— and twenty-eight, six, and four inches : 

 they have the set and general form of those of the Sambur and Axis, and not (as in C. 

 equinus, Molluccensis, and some other large Malayan species,) that of the common 

 Hog Deer; and their granulated surface likewise resembles that of the Sambur's 

 antlers. The skull in the Society's collection has its intermaxillaries imperfect, and 

 the occiput is also incomplete ; but from base of pedicle to tip of nasals it measures 

 but eight inches and one-eighth, the greatest width of orbits apart posteriorly five 

 inches, and anteriorly three inches and three-quarters, length of bony palate four 

 inches and five-eighths, and width posteriorly two inches: there are the sockets of two 

 small canines, but all the teeth are lost. Further information respecting, and especi- 

 ally specimens of, this animal are desirable, and there can be little or no doubt that it 

 was originally imported from some part of the Malayan Archipelago. 



From Captain Ommanay, has been received a specimen of 



Eurylaimus nasutus, v. Todus nasutus, Gmelin, Cymbirynchus nasutus, Vigors, 

 and Eur. lemniscatus, Raffles. 



From Robert lnce, Esq., Supt. of Salt Chokees, Zillah Backergunge, a specimen, 

 of a timber-perforating Worm, accompanied with the following particulars : — " Speci- 

 men of the Worm which destroys boats or timber while floating in the rivers of 

 the eastern district of Bengal, more particularly in and near Backergunge and Furreed- 



