1842.] Asiatic Society. 879 



will do me the favor to present to the Museum of the Asiatic Society, in my 

 name. 



1st. The skin of a female Gour or Bison of the rocky forests, bounding the basal- 

 tic table land of the Nagpoor State, and killed by my people near Umurkuntuk, 

 the source of the Nerbudda river, in the month of April last. 



2nd. The skin of a common Crocodile, killed near the Soane river, south of Mir- 

 zapoor. 



3rd. The nest of a species of Vespa Crabro. This insect is indigenous to the 

 forests of the basaltic table land confining the Nerbudda river at its source. I never 

 saw the insect myself, because I only reached that part of the country in March 

 last, at which time it appears, they usually leave their nests, and return to them at 

 the commencement of the rains. I am in hopes I shall be able to secure and send to 

 the Museum some of the Hornets preserved in spirits, and for which I have written. 



By this time I had hoped that I should have been able to forward some other 

 specimens of Natural History, peculiar to the interesting country about Umurkuntuk, 

 but unfortunately the Rev. Mr. Loesch of the Berlin Mission, who located himself 

 with five German artizans, near Umurkuntuk in March last, with the express 

 object of winning over the wild " Goands," to settled habits, the useful arts, and 

 the advantages of civilized life, and though last not least to the inestimable bless- 

 ings of mental culture and pure religion ; has, I grieve to say, with the whole of his 

 companions been carried off by Cholera, which has for some months past been 

 depopulating that country ! Mr. Loesch and his friends promised me much as- 

 sistance, which we are now deprived of. 



It so happens, that the skins have been not only injured in the preparation, but 

 otherwise by friction. I regret this, but accidents of the kind are unavoidable when 

 quadrupeds or other large animals are skinned by ignorant people. In addition to 

 this, the difficulty of conveying weighty specimens great distances over rugged and 

 almost untraversed tracts, renders it impossible to pack them in such a way, as to 

 preclude their injury during the transit from one place to another. I beg to subscribe 

 myself, Dear Sir, 



Yours very faithfully, 



Robt. Wroughton, 

 Captain, 69th Regiment N. I. 



Ordered — That Captain Wroughton be specially thanked for his con- 

 tribution and exertions to furnish information. 



Communicated by H. V. Bayley, Esq. a letter from Baboo Eshan 

 Chunder Banerjea of the Hoogly College, forwarding a MS., being, as he 

 presumed, a correct Genealogical History, in Sanscrit and Hindwi verses, 

 of the Nagbongshus of Chota Nagpore, presented to the Baboo while at 

 Kishenpore, by Lai Debnath Shahdeo, of Sehag. 



The Secretary reported, that on the examination of the MS. by 

 Dr. Roer and the Pundit of the Society, they were found to contain ge- 



