MISCELLANEOUS NOTICES. 233 



I am much obliged to you for your mention of the Dodo bones. 

 Luekilv Mr. Flower, the Antiquarian, is the father of the Mr. 

 (I think now- Captain) Flower who was so active in digging in 

 the Mauritius ; and as I am an ally of the father, we contrived to 

 get a very large share of those valuable relics for our Museum. 

 We were bound in honor so to do, as before this discovery a 

 skull of that extinct bird which we preserved was the only oue, 

 except one in Copenhagen, in the world. 



It was very vexatious at first, that discovering of new bones ; 

 every fresh discovery reducing' the value and interest of our 

 specimen, much as the discovery of the first husband reduces 

 the value of the second in Tennyson's Poem of "'Enoch Arderi." 

 But we made this out if it. I have to thank you also for 

 mentioning our Museum to Dr. Stoliczka. I am in corres- 

 pondence as to exchanges with Dr. Anderson of the Indian 

 Museum, and I will put myself in communication with Dr. 

 Stoliczka also. 



If the Raja of Kedah should come upon another skeleton of 

 the Semang, I should be very glad of it. In the meantime it 

 will be ray business to make the best possible use of the one 

 which we have. 



Capture of a specimen of Ophiophagus Flaps. 



[The following communication to the Curator of the Raffles 

 Museum may be of interest.] 



" 1 am very glad indeed to be able to send you another and 

 a huer specimen of the Ophiophagus Elaps, a female mea- 

 suring 11 feet 4 inches. 



" The circumstances attending its capture are somewhat 

 interesting. The man describes the snake as going along 

 with its head elevated above the ground, and states that it 

 came right at him ; he wisely bolted and gave the alarm to 

 the men in the fort ; the brute then took up his position on 

 the top of the Sentry box. I happened to be passing 

 and heard the shouting, and was just in time to save the 

 snake from being battered to pieces. Two plucky fellows 

 volunteered to take it alive, but it was a risky thing to do, 

 as immediately we approached the sentry box the snake 



