164 



Meteoric Stone. 



placing it in a new genus to which I would give the name of 

 'dirostrtSi and characterize it as follows : 

 Bill strong, high, slightly longer than the head, and much 

 compressed — gonys ascending, commissure almost straight — 

 culmen slightly curved — maxilla obsoletely notched, weakly 

 hooked — nares ovate, situated in a broad shallow groove, and 

 near <~the commissure, protected by thick-set, stiff feathers, 

 and bristles. Kictal bristles very strong and defending the 

 eye. Legs strong — tarsus moderately long, longer than the 

 hallux. Toes moderate, inner toe shorter than the outer, 

 middle toe equal to the tarsus, claws~moderately strong, that 

 of the middle toe bulged internally, of the hallux very 

 strong, curved and sharp. Wings moderate, almost pointed. 

 1st quill short, 2d shorter than the 3d, 5th and 6th equal and 

 longest. Tail long square, of 12 feathers. 



NOTICES. 



METEORIC STONE. 



A large meteoric stone fell at Voolapilly in the Mundapettah division 

 of the Rajahmundry district, on the 4th November, 1844. 



Mr. Bird, Collector of the District, kindly sent the depositions taken at 

 the time and reported to him, which in substance are as follows : 



About 3 or 4 a. M. of the 4th November, a bright light was seen in the 

 heavens by a night watcher in one of the fields near this village, ac- 

 companied at first by a loud humming sound : the light rapidly increased 

 in intensity, and in a very few moments appeared to fall to the ground 

 with an explosion like that of a large gun. It appeared to the observer 

 to fall very close to him, and for some time he was so dazzled by the 

 intensity of the light, and stupified with alarm, that he was unable to 

 move. After a few minutes, he recovered, and endeavoured to find where 

 it had fallen, but in vain ; though he said it was so near as to have thrown 

 some mud and dirt on him. This, however, is easily accounted for, as the 

 field was under cultivation. He represented that the night was clear and 

 calm; he was standing looking eastward *at the time, and the Meteor ap- 

 peared to come from the South. He described its appearance as resem- 

 bling some native firework, and that the light, at first dull, afterwards 



