General Meeting, Nov. 27th, 1852. 



xliii. 



tiful new species, P. Calthropce. Psittacus Asiaticus is also abundant . 

 Copsychus saularis and Malacocercus griseus are also plentiful. 



I have described a new species of house lizard found here, Gymnodac* 

 tylus Kandianus, much smaller than the common house lizard of Colombo^ 

 Hemidactylus fremitus, of which we have here a very large variety, I pre- 

 sume, unless it turns out to be the much coveted II Leschenaultii. The 

 new Gecko, above alluded to, is a diurnal species, with roundpupils. The 

 pupils of every other species known in the Island are vertical (like cat's 

 eyes.) Here we see a very curious adaptation of the visual organs to the 

 habits of the animal. I have also added lately Piripia Peronii to my list 

 of Geckotidce; it is easily known by its clawless thumbs. They are very 

 abundant on every house in the town of Kandy and Kaduganava. I hope 

 you will induce other Members of the Society to communicate in a familiar 

 manner any Zoological or Botanical notes they may make, so that every 

 circumstance, however trivial and unimportant it may seem, may prove 

 interesting to the future if not to the present Members of this Society, 

 " Nihil est aliud magnum quam multa minuta." 



Believe me, 



Very sincerely your's, 



E. F. Kelaart. 



P. S.— Since writing the above, I have spent a few days at Dr. Mar- 

 shall's, Allagalla, where I have obtained a species of Nessia, probably 

 identical with N. Burtonii of Gray, of which there appears to be only one 

 specimen in the European cabinets, and that, too, at Fort Pitt Museum, 

 doubtless sent there many years ago, by some Army Medical Officer 

 serving in Ceylon, if it proves now that my specimen is of the same spe- 

 cies ; of this, however, I have some doubts. You will observe that Gray 

 founded the genus Nessia from this solitary specimen in Fort Pitt, and 

 named it after Staff Surgeon Burton, who was then in charge of the 

 Museum* 



The specimen from Allagalla (3000 ft.) is vermiform in appearance, 

 about 5 inches long, with 4 small legs, having 3 sub-equal small toes on 

 each. Dark rufous brown above and spotted with darker brown on the 

 anterior part of each scale. Dark grey beneath, clouded and spotted. 

 Found in vegetable mould on a Coffee plantation. From the same inter- 

 esting locality, I have a specimen of Argyrophis Bramicus, (young,) brown 

 above with a broad pale whitish line beneath. The crenulated subter° 

 niinal edge of the rostral and nasal shields, became very perceptible after 

 the specimen was immersed in spirits for some days. In the collection 

 you have sent me for examination, I find a TypMops^ in which the head is 



