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In addition to this, the grass in the Palmetun is cut by 
women from Sibpur, and the clearing of water weeds from 
the lake is done by contract. 
Calcutta Wild Fauna. 
The Indian Fruit-Bat, or Flying Fox, Pteropus medius^ 
is a very noticeable inhabitant of Calcutta. It is a curious 
and interesting sight to see these bats by day roosting in 
trees, hanging head downwards and appearing like some 
strange, large, brown fruit. 
The pretty little striped Palm- Squirrels, Sciurus palmarum^ 
are very numerous. 
Of the many birds I saw in and about this city, besides the 
Crows, Babblers, King-Crows, Tailor-birds, Golden Orioles, 
Mynas, Magpie- Robins, Sparrows, Swallows, Coppersmiths, 
Rollers, Kingfishers, Swifts, Koels, Parrakeets, Vultures, 
Kites, Cormorants, and Pond Herons, I would like specially 
to mention the Indian Tree-Pie, Dendrocitta rufa, the White- 
breasted Water-hen, Amaurornis plioenicurus^ the Indian 
Darter, or Snake-bird, Plotiis melanogaster^ the Night Heron, 
Nycticorax yriseus, and also a flock of eight beautiful little 
Cotton Teal, Nettopus coromandelianus^ which were on the 
Hugli close to the Botanical Garden. 
Calcutta Museum. 
The Indian Museum, an immense and magnificent building 
in the Chowringhee Road, Calcutta, is of such worldwide 
scientific reputation, and the collections of animals, antiqui- 
ties, books, meteorites, minerals, etc., it contains so vast, that I 
cannot attempt to describe it. I was not fortunate enough 
to meet Dr. N. Annandale, the Superintendent, as he was at 
Simla when I visited his Museum, May 13, 1913, but his 
assistants, Mr. S. W. Kemp and Mr. F. H. Gravely, very 
kindly conducted me round the galleries and laboratories, 
and Mr. G. E. Pilgrim, of the Geological Survey, was so 
good as to show me the wonderful series of Tertiary mammal 
remains from various parts of India and from the Island of 
Perim that are his special charge. 
