988 Proceedings of the Asiatic Society, [Nov. 



This being the only skeleton of any kind of bear at present in the Society's col- 

 lection, I am unable to make any comparative remarks, or trace out the specific 

 peculiarities, if any exist, with regard to its ossipic structure. The bones on the 

 whole are strong and powerful ; and though not yet arrived at maturity, as shewn 

 by the still unconnected state of the epiphisses, they indicate by the full display 

 of the large eminences and depressions for the origin and insertion of massive 

 muscular levers, that the fabric belongs to an ungainly and thickset animal. Inde- 

 pendent however of its clumsy appearance, the general contour exhibits a fine 

 adjustment oi its several parts to the well known peculiarities and habits of the 

 living animal, while the structure and organization of the foot marks it as a type 

 of the plantigrade order — in this respect differing — and offering a fine contrast to 

 the more agile feline carnivora — which are again the types or representatives of the 

 more perfect digitigrades, the toes only touching in the latter, while in the bears 

 the whole heel rests perpetually upon the surface of the ground. 



The dentary system is perfect in all its parts ; the jaws containing six incisors 

 above and below, the absence of which in the generality of crania which are trans- 

 mitted to Europe, and which generally fall out at an early period of life, must have 

 led to the error of associating the animal with the Edentates or Sloths. The series 

 of well-defined tubercular molars, together with the anatomical structure of the 

 stomach and alimentary canal, would seem better fitted for vegetable than animal 

 matter, though I have no doubt this animal occasionally eats the latter ; it is well 

 known however, that bulbous roots, sugar-cane, and white ants, are the natural and 

 principal food of this our Indian variety of bear. 



It is to be regretted that the animal was received in a too advanced state of de- 

 composition to admit of a very critical examination of its internal organization, 

 much less of allowing the digestive apparatus to be preserved as specimens of com- 

 parative anatomy. 



Antelope ? Gazelle. 



Presented by the late Mr. Bell, with the following short note, descriptive of its 

 habits while in his possession. 



" This (I suppose the real Gazelle) was as tame as a dog, jumping upon every 

 one at table. We have had it as a domestic pet about a month, but could never 

 hit upon its proper food. Grain it was indifferent about, and would hardly toueh 

 any thing but dates, dressed vegetables and roses, all which had a tendency to give 

 it a bowel complaint : nevertheless it was recovering fast, when it unfortunately got 

 into an enclosure where some large antelopes were kept, and was found bleeding 

 about the abdomen. I fear it must have received some severe hurt from their horns. 

 I now send it dead." — October 29th. 



At present I have not been able to identify this delicate and graceful little 

 animal with any of the recognized species of the group to which it evidently 

 belongs. 



The specimen is a young female, characterized by rudimentary horns, want of the 

 usual development of the suborbitar sinuses peculiar to the deer tribe, having 

 tnfts of hair below the knees and on the pasterns, possessing inguinal pores, two 

 mammae, besides the other distinguishing marks on the face, ears and flanks, 

 peculiar to the gazelline group ; but on comparing these most prominent features 

 with those assigned to the several species included under the gazelles in Griffith's 

 translation of the Regne animal, it does not strictly accord in all of its specific or 

 even in some of its subordinate characters with any one there described. I have 

 consequently left it for future scrutiny rather than hazard an incorrect name. 



As it is not known from what exact locality it was obtained, and the generic 

 characters being less prominently set forth in the females of most animals than in 

 the other sex, it must be reserved till we are fortunate enough to procure the male 

 animal ere its place in systematic arrangement can be accurately determined. Its 

 death appears to have been occasioned by swallowing a long piece of woollen yarn, as 

 a large coil of this material was found in the cavity of the stomach, and which must 

 have offered a mechanical resistance to any food passing on through the natural 

 passages. 



Stomach and caecum of the above animal— the former showing the usual com- 

 plicated digestive apparatus peculiar to the Ruminantia. 



Aquila Chryseetos. The ring-tailed Eagle (variety) ; presented by the curator and 

 mounted in the museum. 



This magnificent bird was shot by a native shikaree at Tarduh, a village in the 

 vicinity of the salt-water lake. It is a large and powerful raptorial bird, possessing 

 all the distinguishing and characteristic traits ascribed to the true eagles ; and 

 though evidently an old bird, it becomes a highly interesting object for comparisoa 

 with a young living bird, apparently of the same species, in the Society's compound,,. 



