1848.] Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. 83 



cularly distinguished by its long and erect greyish beard and whiskers, surround- 

 ing the face, with the help of a considerable fringe of projecting hair upon the 

 brows, causing the eyes to appear deep sunk and altogether imparting a very pe- 

 culiar physiognomy. Also the living Squirrel, No. 14 a, described in XVI, 872. 



3. The Raja Buddenath Roy. A dead female white English Turkey, equal- 

 ling in size the males of the race bred in this country. The specimen has been 

 mounted ; and I have presented the Society with a fine male of the same breed, 

 which has been prepared as a skeleton.* 



4. Mr. Birch, of the Pilot Service. A variety of Crustacea procured at the 

 Sandheads, comprising some interesting specimens, and among them some of a 

 Crab allied to Gonoplex and Macrophthalmus, which is new to the Society's 

 collection. 



5. From the Barrackpore menagerie. A fine dead specimen of a Lory (Eos 

 ornatd). 



6. Mr. W. Johnson. A young living Monkey, of the species Macacus radi- 

 atus. 



7. Major Jenkins, Gowhatti. A perfect skin of a black Leopard ; and skins 

 of various species of Anatidce. 



8. Capt. E. F. Smith, 2nd Command 1st Assam Lt. Infantry, Sadyia. A 

 skin of Felis marmoratu, Martin, and one of Sciurus bicolor : Assam being a 

 new locality for the former species ; and a variety of F. bengalensis occurring 

 there, which is apt to be mistaken for F. marmorata. This variety is the F. 



* The Turkies of Bengal, or more properly of Chittagong (where great numbers are 

 bred), are of small size, with the pendulous appendage and wattles of the head and neck 

 greatly developed. Degenerate in the extreme from the wild race of America, they 

 are incapable of flight, and are singularly helpless and dependent. If suffered to drink 

 at will, they will continue sipping till they distend their huge craws, and inconvenience 

 themselves not a little by so doing. They are almost invariably black, which was doubt- 

 less the colour of their imported ancestors. But for the table they are excellent, and in 

 great demand ; and most of those brought hither from Chittagong are purchased by 

 people of French descent, who fatten them at Chandernagore for the Calcutta market. 

 In Calcutta, the reputed Chittagong Turkies are at a discount, for it is not generally 

 known that the Chandernagore birds are received from Chittagong in the first instance : 

 the management, however, of the newly imported Chittagong Turkies is little understood 

 in Calcutta. Although this bird was necessarily unknown in the Old World before the 

 discovery of the New, it is regarded by the Mussulmans of India as unclean, the tuft of 

 bristles on its breast inducing them to suppose that it partakes of the nature of the Hog : 

 moreover, the bare head and neck of the Turkey imparts a somewhat Vulturine appear- 

 ance, which may well help this prejudice in the East ; and it is worthy of remark, that 

 some English Turkies which I possessed would constantly associate with a pair of the 

 Otogyps pondicerianus that were secured each by a chain, themselves evidently assuming 

 the degrading consanguinity. 



