1858.] Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. 81 



Report for December Meeting, 1857. 



The only donations which I have at present to report upon are as 

 follows — 



1. Babu Rajendra Mallika. The carcass of a fine JBdra Sing'ha buck 

 (Cervus Duvaucelei), the skin of which has been since mounted ; and 

 ditto of the common large Squirrel (Sciurus Elphinstonei), prepared 

 as a skeleton. 



2. C. B. Chalmers, Esq. 44th B. N. I. A fine skin of the Menura 

 superba, or 'Lyre-bird' of N. S. Wales; since mounted. 



3. J. Sweeny, Esq. An example of Python molurus, 13| ft. long ; 

 obtained in the neighbourhood, but not improbably escaped from con- 

 finement. 



4. From myself, the carcasses of two Chitas (Felis jubata), both skins 

 and one skeleton set up;* of a Sia-gosh(F. caracal) ; Bear(UfiSUS labia- 

 tus) ; and large Monitor drac^ena, the skeleton of which has been set up. 

 Also a number of fishes, procured at the Sandheads : and, by purchase, an 

 enormous skull of Ubsus isabellinus, and one of U. tibetanus. 



In a native shop where the latter were obtained, I found a 

 large bag of Feline tusks or canine-teeth, comprising (at the lowest 

 computation) those of about 250 Tigers and 150 Leopards. I have selected 

 a fine series illustrative of the growth of the teeth, and of the magnitude 

 attained by them. 



I have also purchased, alive, but it has since died and been transferred 

 to the museum, a very rare Parrakeet, the Pal^eornis erythrogenys, 

 nobis (nee Lesson, nee Fraser), v. P. nicobaricus, Gould, and P. barbatus 

 apud Pucheran (Rev. Zool, &c. 1856, p. 209). P. erythrogenys of Lesson 

 was pre-applied, but is merely a synonym of the common P. longicauda 

 (v. malaccensis, and the young — P. viridimystax, nobis, J. A. S. XXV, 

 446) ; for which reason Mr. Gould's name nicobaricus, bestowed under 

 the impression that erythrogenys of Lesson was a particular species, can- 

 not be accepted. P. erythrogenys of Fraser, again, is not only subsequent 

 to erythrogenys, nobis, but bears the prior synonym of Luciani, 

 J. Verreaux ; and this bird appears to me to be the original barbatus of 

 Gmelin, — habitat unknown, but probably from Cambodia or Cochin- 



* The following mounted skeletons of Felis were exhibited at the Meeting. 

 F. leo (N. Africa) ; F. Tigris (enormous) ; F. pakdus ; F. jubata ; F. cara- 

 cal ; F. celidogaster (v. viverrina) ; F. bengalensis ; F. chaus ; and Indian 

 F. domestica. 



M 



