1S42.] Asiatic Society. 891 



ing. A large Cobra was observed swimming in the river, but no other snake whatever. 

 Of Batrachia, I procured a few Tree-frogs (Hyla maculosa of Hardwicke and Gray), 

 which passed the day asleep upon low herbage; also a species of Toad undertermined, 

 additional to that common about Calcutta, and the young of a third species. 



Of Fishes, nothing but what is common in the Calcutta bazars. 



A few Testacea and Crustacea were collected, and a considerable number of fine 

 Insects, particularly Orthoptera and Lepidoptera, but not many species additional to 

 what I had previously met with. 



Such is a brief summary of the products of a fortnight's quest for specimens to enrich 



the zoological collections in the Society's Museum, undertaken, however, chiefly for 



purposes of observation, to which collecting was regarded as subservient. Of course 



there were many species which eluded observation, but fewer of birds than of the other 



classes, whence my list of these will tolerably well illustrate what are to be met with 



in this part of Bengal at the season when birds are rarest. The frequency of the rain 



was a great impediment to carrying on any researches of the kind, by rendering 



many places impassable alike under-foot, and drenching the bushes and under-wood, so 



that traversing them was as bad as experiencing the effects of a shower; but my little 



party did their best towards securing whatever they could for the Museum, and while 



the showers fell, there was work enough inside the boat in preparing what specimens 



had been collected. I do not, however, recommend any other party to select the same 



season for similar investigations. 



With much respect, 



I now subscribe myself, 



Yours obediently, 



Edward Blyth. 



time, one male, more valorous or strong than the rest, will be found in possession of the whole 

 female part of the flock, his discomfited fellows remaining at a short distance from the scene of 

 their defeat. An interesting scene now follows : a kind of conference takes place, the female 

 monkeys delivering up their half-grown male offspring to the care of the former, who troop away 

 to the jungles, reinforced by the juniors, who at the next season return with their foster-fathers to 

 take part in the contests which ensue on their periodical migration." 



Though rather out of place here, I shall cite another observation from the same work (for 

 September 1836, page 158), relative to the habits of the Rhinoceros, concerning which it would 

 appear that the nasal horn is not the most formidable weapon of this powerful beast. " At one 

 time," remarks the writer, " I thought it was so, but have long been satisfied that it is merely used 

 in defence, and not as an instrument of offence. It is with the tusks they wound so desperately. 

 I killed a huge male, which was cut and slashed all over its body in fighting ; the wounds were all 

 fresh, and as cleanly cut as if they had been done with a razor,— -the horn could not have been used 

 here. Another we had wounded, stood, and out of pure rage, cut at the jungle right and left, 

 exactly as a hog uses his tusks. One of my friends had a man, who was sauntering through the 

 forests, actually embowelled by a Rhinoceros. He examined the wound immediately, and I heard 

 him say afterwards, that, had it been done with the keenest cutting instrument it could not have 

 been cleaner cut; — that could not have been with the horn." Other facts to the same effect have 

 been related to me by a sporting friend, who has had considerable experience in Rhinoceros 

 hunting ; and since transcribing the above, I see that Mr. Robinson mentions, in its ' Descriptive 

 account of Assam,' p. 97, that "the Rhinoceros makes no use of its horn as a weapon of defence, 

 but for this purpose invariably uses its teeth." 



I may also here notice, that I have just ascertained the fact of a plurality of species being, 

 there can be no doubt, confounded under the appellation of Hoonuman, which greatly detracts 

 from the value of what had been hitherto ascertained regarding the geographic range of the 

 alleged Semnopithccus Entellus. Januarv 20th, 1843.— E. B. 



6 A 



