1848.] Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. 247 



Exchanged. 



The Athemeum, Nos. 1047—1051 to 53. 



Journal of the Agri-Horticultural Society of India, Vol. VI. Part II. 

 The London, Edinburgh and Dublin Philosophical Magazine, Nos. 210-11. 



Purchased. 



The Annals and Magazine of Natural History, Nos. 135 — 36. 

 Journal des Savants, Oct. 1847. 



Comptes Rendus des Seances de lAcademie des Sciences, Tome XXV. Nos. 

 17-21. 



Donation to the Museum of Antiquities. 

 A Nepalese Sword. — By Samuel Wright, Esq. 



Certified to be a true Report, 



James W. Colvile, President. 

 W. B. O'Shaughnessy, Secretary. 



Report of Curator Zoological Department* 



The following are the presentations I have to record this evening : — 

 1 . Sir W. Jardine, Bt. A small collection of British mammalia and birds, 

 comprising a very fine example of the rare British Wild Cat (Felis catus, L., 

 as currently assigned, v. F. sylvestris, Aldrovand), procured in Inverness-shire ; 

 — also two Alpine Hares, — specimens ofArvicola glareola, (Schreb., v. riparia, 

 Yarrell, &c), — a fine cock Pheasant, — some Black and Red Grouse, — and 

 sundry small birds. On comparison of the Cat with the imperfect skin from 

 Afghanistan noticed in XIV, 342, XV, 169, the latter differs in having shorter 

 fur, of a more fulvescent hue, especially on the under-parts and limbs, with 

 the markings more broken into spots, though still tending to form irregular 

 obliquely transverse stripes ; the tail, also, if perfect, would seem to be 

 tapering (as in the domestic Cat), and has its black tip less developed. The 

 two are, however, very closely allied, and both may have, at least partly, 

 contributed to the origin of the domestic Cats of their respective regions. 

 The fine Scottish specimen before the Meeting, recals vividly to mind the 

 figure and expression of a large European male Cat, as distinguished from 

 the more slimly formed domestic animal of this country, which (as I have 

 been informed on good authority) occasionally interbreeds with the common 

 wild F. chaus. Mr. Walter Elliot, again, informs me that he has known the 

 wild F, rubiginosa of the Coromandel coast to interbreed with the domestic 



* Presented at the February meeting'. 



