86 Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. [March, 



" On the hills, the fauna is much larger and more varied. One of 

 the most interesting animals is a peculiar rodent which inhabits the 

 rocks, and which is very probably Blyth's Pectinator Spehei, or 

 possibly a second species of Pectinator. It has a short bushy tail 

 carried like a squirrel's ; so much so, that I took the first specimen I 

 saw for a squirrel which had lost half his tail. The skin is the most 

 tender of any mammal I ever attempted to preserve. It is very com- 

 mon in the pass. Then there is a ground squirrel Xerus, a new 

 species I think ; at least it docs not correspond exactly with X. rutilans. 

 and Ruppel and Gray, in the list lately published in the Annals and 

 Magazine of Natural History, mention no other allied to it. There is a 

 very handsome canine animal, of which I have only seen one imperfect 

 skin, brown with the back grizzled black. There are one or two large 

 antelopes ; one of them a ' Koodoo' (Tragelephas or Streps ice ros) 

 different, I believe, from the S. African species. A distinct species of 

 hare from that found here, is also said to occur. 



" The chief changes in ascending occur about 2,000 feet to 3,000 feet. 

 There are not so many gradations in the fauna and flora as in ascend- 

 ing the Himalayas and Nilgiris ; at least, I think not. Many birds 

 and plants of the plains, or rather of the base of the hills, are found 

 up to 3,000 and 4,000 feet," 



The receipt of the following communication was announced. 



Statistical data on the area of Asiatic Russia ; by M. M. Vranikof, 

 translated by R. Mitchell, Esq., F. R. G. S., communicated by 

 Colonel T. Walker. 



The Secretary then read the following papers : — 



Me.- Carnegy's queries regarding races of India. 



1. In my settlement enquiries I pay a good deal of attention to 

 ascertaining the past history of the different clans and races ; and I now 

 propose to ask your kind assistance, to get cleared up for me, by some 

 of your enlightened coadjutors, a small matter that has disturbed my 

 mind not a little. 



The whole subject may be got into the short and rather uninviting 

 sentence, " What is Caste?" 



