166 Asiatic Society. [No. 134, 



Read a memorandum from the Zoological Curator (who from illness 

 had been unable to prepare his report) on some new Monkies, Birds, &c. 

 on the table. 



Sir,— I have to acknowledge the following presentations to the Museum :— 



From Captain R. Wroughton, as announced by letter in XI, 879, 



A skin of a female Gaour (Bos Gaurus), in very good condition ; 



One of Crocodilus biporcatus ; and 



A large arboreal Wasp's nest. 



* From J. C. Jerdon, Esq. 



A box of various Fossils, from the Neilgherries, a list of which may shortly be ex- 

 pected. 



From Mr. Ridsdale, of Bishop's College, 



A skin of a Prion Petrel (Pachyptila Frosteri). 



Three species of Snakes, from Ceylon. 



An Echeneis remora. 



From Mr. DeCruz, of the Botanic Garden, 



A most formidable species of true Viper, which I have been unable to find a name 

 for, and wait in this and other instances for the publication of that part of MM. Du- 

 meril and Bibron's valuable * Histoire des Reptiles', which treats of the Ophidia, 

 before venturing to impose a name upon any species belonging to the order. 



A fine Varanus binotatus, and some insects. 



From Major Ouseley, 



A specimen of Saturnia Assamica, from Chota Nagpore. 



From our Honorary Secretary, Mr. Torrens, 



A Rose-crested Cockatoo (Plyclotophusrosaceus.) 



Among the numerous specimens obtained in the neighbourhood or purchased, 1 shall 

 only notice two species of birds ; viz. 



Hyptiopus (Hodgson, olim Baza, H.,) lophotes ; Falco lophotes, Tem. A beauti- 

 ful pair, male and female, procured alive, and which had the power of erecting their 

 crest quite vertically, as I doubt not is also the case with the various other Hawks 

 similarly crested : and 



Finago? cantillans, Nobis. Male thirteen inches long, by twenty-one inches in alar 

 expanse; wings seven inches; and tail five inches and a half, its form cuneated : bill 

 to frontal feathers seven-eighths of an inch ; and tarse three-quarters of an inch. Pre- 

 dominant hue a delicate pearl-grey, conspicuously tinged with ruddy on the crown 

 and breast : fore-part of the wings maronne-red, which also deeply tinges the scapu- 

 lar ies and interscapularies : belly faintly tinged with yellowish- green, and a trace of 

 dingy green margining the rump plumage and the smallest tertiaries, also prevailing on 

 the coverts of the secondaries, the greater series of which are slightly bordered with 

 whitish-yellow : primaries and secondaries dusky, together with the extremities of the 

 outer tail-feathers : vent white, the feathers of its sides having dark ashy centres; and 

 lower tail-coverts whitish-buff, being more or less ashy at base. Irides as usual in 

 this genus, or having a crimson ring encircling a violet one : bill and bare skin 

 around the eye glaucous-blue ; and legs and toes reddish carneous. This remarkable 

 species is essentially a Vinago, though differing considerably from the typical species 

 in the form of its bill and feet ; insomuch that it might, with propriety, be elevated to 



