1857.] Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. 315 



Mammalia. 



Hydromys chrysogaster, Geoffroy. Far more brightly coloured than 

 specimens from Pt. Philip in our collection, presented in 1846 by Mr. 

 Benson. N. B. — Mr. Gould, if we mistake not, figures about five races 

 of Hydromys as distinct species. 



Dasyurus viverrinus, (Shaw). Two brown specimens. N. B. — Both 

 this and a distinct species with spotted tail (D. maculatus) inhabit Tas- 

 mania, and we have both in the museum. 



Phalangista vulpina, (Shaw). Three fine specimens ; two of the 

 ordinary colouring, similar to examples from Pt. Philip and N. S. Wales ; 

 the third melanoid, and illustrating the Ph.fuliginosa, Ogilby. 



*Phascalomys wombat, Peron and Lesueur. A very fine skin of this 

 extraordinary rodent marsupial- 



Ornithorhynchus anatinus, Shaw. 



Aves. 

 Euphema chrysostoma, Wagler. Two specimens. 

 Lathamus discolor, (Shaw). Ditto. 

 Glossoptila australis, (Lath.). Ditto. 

 Ieracidea berigora, (Vigors and Horsfield). 

 Cuculus inornatus, Vigors and Horsfield. Ditto. 



*PoDARGUS ClJVIERI, Gould. 



# Oreocincla lunulata, (Latham).* 

 Petroica phcenicea, Gould. Two specimens. 

 *Calamanthus fuliginosus, Gould. 

 Cinclosoma punctatum, (Lath.) Two specimens. 



* This difficult group of Thrushes has been elucidated by the Prince of Ca« 

 nino, in the ' Revue et Magasin de Zoologie,' No. 5 for 1857 : but His Highness 

 had not examined the O. NILGIRIENSIS, nobis, which is a particularly well cha- 

 racterized species. It most nearly resembles O. lunulata ; but the colouring 

 of the upper-parts is much more ruddy ; the tail (of 12 feathers) is 1 in. shorter, 

 and instead of being slightly cuneiform, tends rather to be subfurcate, but with 

 its outermost feathers a trifle shorter than the rest ; the bill, as long as in O. 

 lunulata, is very much more slender, and the tip of the upper mandible is more 

 prolonged ; the tarse also is conspicuously shorter ; and the small first primary 

 is more developed. Length of wing 5 in. ; of tail 3£ in. ; bill to gape 1£ in. ; 

 tarse 1 in. ; and short first primary If in. Lower mandible of a pale colour. In 

 three mottle-backed species under examination, viz. O. dauma (from the Hin- 

 dustani word ddma, t a Thrush'), O. lunulata, and O. nilgiriensis, the dis- 

 tinctions are exceedingly well marked. 



