1842.] Asiatic Society. 871 



that of the preceding species, is wholly of a leaden-blue colour above, with whitish 

 under-parts; no lateral line ; a remarkable (though probably merely individual) dis- 

 tinction consisting in four or five of the plates immediately anterior to the vent tending 

 to assume the divided form of those of the tail, being in fact more or less divided and 

 oblique. The other specimen is twenty inches and a half long, with tail four inches 

 and a quarter; and is also leaden-blue above, and whitish gradually more suffused 

 with blue for the first third of its under surface, the rest uniformly bluish and deepen- 

 ing to under the tail : it has also a narrow yellowish-white lateral line commencing 

 under the eye and continued for its whole length. This is allied to the Bodroo Pam 

 of Russell's ' Indian Serpents', plate IX., as indeed are the others also, and like- 

 wise to the TV. purpureo-maculatus figured by Hardwicke and Gray. 



From Dr. Thomson, who has already favored us with a highly interesting box 

 of insects from Afghanistan, I have now to record the donations of a mounted human 

 skeleton (that of an Englishman), excellently prepared and set up, and of an ex- 

 tensive collection of insects, filling 21 glass-fronted cases exceeding a foot square, 

 and of which the contents of 18, consisting of the orders generally, were obtained 

 in the vicinity of Agra, while the remaining 3 are filled with Himalayan Lepidoptera. 

 This fine collection has arrived in most satisfactory condition, and constitutes, of 

 course, a very important accession to our entomological cabinet, (the previous extent 

 of which is briefly noticed at p. 604,) albeit a greater community of species occurs 

 than would perhaps be anticipated in the entomology of the neighbourhoods of Agra 

 and Calcutta. 



Our esteemed contributor, Robt. Ince, Esq., has favored us with some specimens of 

 a small Weevil known as the Mango Beetle, which prevails, as he informs us, "in the 

 districts of Sylhet, Furreedpore, Dacca, Tipperah, Backergunge, and half Jessore — but 

 strange to say, our own mangoes which, in 1835, I brought as grafts from Santi- 

 pore, and planted in a pucka terrace with a wall round, are quite free from them ; 

 however, there is no accounting for them, for on enquiry it appears that frequently 

 with two trees planted close to each other, the one has the insect and the other not." 

 I have not the means of determining the genus of these insects which are found in all 

 stages within the fruit of the Mango. 



A fine Hawkmoth, of the genus Sphinx, has been presented to the Society by Mr. 

 Borradaile. The only bird with which we have been favored since the last Meeting 

 is a skin of Cryptonyx coronatus, from Captain Macleod. 



In this class, I have also little to report on as concerns our own collecting. For a 

 long while, in consequence of the heavy rains, not any were brought to the bazars, and 

 the only rare species to the neighbourhood, which has been procured, is a fine male 

 of Oxylophus Coromandus. Due progress has, however, been made in mounting 

 our great accumulation of skins, and I have procured fine series of two species of 

 Euplectes in addition to the common Weaver-bird, or Eu. Phillipensis. These do not 

 appear to have been hitherto distinguished, and the females and young of both may be 

 alluded to as Eu. aurinotis by Mr. Swainson, Class. Birds, II, 279. 



Eu. Phillipensis, the common Baya or Weaver-bird of India generally, as also of 

 the Malay countries, does not appear to attain its full colours until the third or fourth 

 year. The young aie like the females, and the once moulted males vary much in the 

 intensity of the yellow colour upon the head, which in some attains its full brightness, 



