888 Asiatic Society. [No. 129. 



Zoology of the district as observable during the latter part of July, when the rainy 

 season has moderated, though heavy showers are still of frequent occurrence, leaving 

 periods of sunshine at most but of a few hours' duration, may be acceptable to some 

 readers of the Journal inlEurope, who may not be prepared to hear of the remarkable 

 paucity of animals which fell under my observation, in a region so generally under- 

 stood to teem with animal life at all seasons. 



I may notice that, keeping on shore almost constantly while the weather permitted 

 it, I did not advance above fifty or sixty miles above Calcutta ; the country being 

 almost everywhere so thickly populated that it was dangerous to point a gun near 

 the ground : to this cause, however, must not be attributed the scarcity of birds in 

 particular, so remarkably noticeable during the epoch of the rains, for the contrast in 

 this respect presented during the cold season is very striking. 



There was a total absence of water-fowl upon the river ; and the only species of 

 wading or water-fowl observed on land, were a few Egrets (Paddy -birds) of different 

 species in the rice-fields, with occasionally an Anastomus seen on the wing, and now 

 and then a solitary Ardea Javanica would be put up from secluded tanks generally 

 surrounded by jungle; I also observed two or three individuals of the larger Whistling 

 Duck ( Dendrocygna major t JerdonJ, a pair of the Pygmy Greenshank (Totanus 

 Horsfieldi) on the margin of a brook, and the only Rattidce seen were two or three 

 individuals of Gallinula Javanica vel phcenicura. 



The Raptores were not more extensively represented. The White-backed Vulture 

 {Vultur leuconotus, of which V. Bengalensis, Auct., is merely the young,) was duly 

 numerous, collected wherever there was, or had "been, aught to entice its appetite, 

 or sailing in quest of such delicacies high in the bright sunlight. The Haliaetus 

 Pondicerianus (' Brahminee CheeP), so very numerous at other seasons, was seen 

 only once or twice; and the common Indian Kite (Milvus cheele), which literally 

 swarms in Calcutta during the greater part of the year, quits it entirely at the time 

 of the rains, and of this I saw two or three individuals high in air: the only remaining 

 bird of prey observed was Circcstus undulatus, a pair of which were hovering over 

 Barrackpore park, and another was shot some miles higher up the river. 



There are five species of Parrot more or less common in this neighbourhood 

 throughout the year ; viz. Palceornis Alezandrinus, torquatus, mystaceus, and Ben,' 

 galensis, and Psittacula vernalis. Pal. torquatus is the most numerous, and P. Ben- 

 galensis next so ; these 1 have marked down in my list as having been observed on 

 the present occasion, as also a large flock of what appeared to be the little Crim- 

 son-rumped Lorikeet (Psittacula vernalis J. 



Of Woodpeckers, Picus Bengalensis is extremely abundant at all seasons, and P. 

 Macei less so : in addition to these was obtained P. badius, Raffles, which is not com- 

 mon in this part of Bengal, though I had before observed it. Of Cuckoos, Cuculus 

 fugax was numerous, Oxylopkus edolius less so, and Centropus Phillipensis common. 

 Bucco cyanops and B. Phillipensis abundant. The Kingfisher tribe was as plentiful 

 as at other seasons, consisting of Halcyon Capensis, tolerably common, H.Smyrnensis, 

 Ceryle rudis, and Alcedo Bengalensis : the fine Halcyon amauropterus, Pearson, 

 (J. A. S. X, 635^, which is tolerably common near Calcutta during the cool season, 

 I did not observe. The Roller (Coracias IndicaJ, so very plentiful in the cool 

 months, had almost disappeared : and the pretty little green Bee-eater (Merops 



