tions of the Great Trigonometrical Survey of India, Vols. X, XI, XII, and XIII. 7. From the Government of Bengal,-Brief Summary of the Meteorology of Bengal, 1880. The following Gentlemen, duly proposed by the Council at the last meeting, were ballotted for and elected Honorary Members of the Society: 1. Dr. William Wright. 2. Dr. Rudolph v. Roth. 3. Sir William Thomson. 4. Prof. Hermann L. F. Helmholtz. The following Gentlemen, duly proposed and seconded at the last meeting, were ballotted for and elected Ordinary Members of the Society: R. Logan, Esq. J. J. Monteath Esq., M. D. The following Gentleman is a candidate for ballot at the next meeting: Babu Girijabhushana Mukerji, M. A., proposed by Babu Protapa Chandra Ghosha, seconded by J. Wood-Mason, Esq. The SECRETARY reported that the following Gentlemen had intimated their desire to withdraw from the Society: Major M. Protheroe. Herr W. Joest. Munshi Ganga Pershad. The following papers were read— 1. A numerical Estimate of the Species of Animals, chiefly Land and Freshwater, hitherto recorded from British India and its Dependencies.-By WILLIAM T. BLANFORD, F. R. S. (Abstract.) This paper is an attempt to obtain a rough estimate of the number of species belonging to the animal kingdom hitherto recorded in British India and its Dependencies. The marine fauna inhabiting the seas around India being very imperfectly known, Mr. Blanford has confined himself, in all the sub-kingdoms except the Vertebrata, to the land and freshwater fauna alone. Although the data obtained are very imperfect, Mr. Blanford publishes them because they lead to some very curious results. The number of recorded species in each order of the various classes is given, together with the authorities from whom the data have been collected and from this a final table giving the number of species in each class is compiled. On this Mr. Blanford remarks: "The figures given are, I believe, a fair approximation to the truth, and the result is one that I think should make Anglo-Indian naturalists endeavour to improve our knowledge of the fauna. It is scarcely creditable that, in a perfectly accessible country, with facilities for travelling and for living in different parts of the area unrivalled within the tropics, we should remain so ignorant of the zoology. It is ridiculous to suppose that the Indian Coleoptera are scarcely more numerous than the Lepidoptera, that the Hymenoptera (which very probably rival, and may excel, each of the other orders) are only between and as numerous, or that the Neuroptera, of which, Mr. McLachlan tells me, about 1000 are known from Europe, are only represented by 350 species. As to the spiders, it is no exaggeration to say that in most parts of India 108 species (which is the total number hitherto described for the whole of India) might be collected in a few days' search. It is to be hoped that the next 5 years will witness a very considerable increase in our knowledge of the fauna of India." This paper will be printed in full in the Journal, Part II, No. 4, for 1881. 2. Notes on an apparently undescribed Varanus from Tenasserim, and on other Reptilia and Amphibia.—By W. T. BLANFord, F. R. S. (Abstract.) This paper gives a detailed description of a Varanus found in Tenasserim in the neighbourhood of Tavoy, which Mr. Blanford cannot identify with any known species. It may be immediately distinguished from all other Indian forms by its peculiar nostril, situated in a single scale, by the larger scales on the upper part of the body, and especially by the scales of the nape being larger than those above the head, or those on the back. There is also a description of a cobra differing in colour and to some slight extent in structure from any Indian form known to Mr. Blanford, the colouration being remarkably similar to that in the Central Asiatic type described by Eichwald under the name of Tomyris oxiana. This snake was found in Gilgit where several birds and mammals belonging to Central Asiatic types occur. The paper also contains notes on specimens of Draco taniopterus found near Tavoy in Tenasserim, and on a species of Pseudophidian, Icthyophis Glutinosus, found near Darjeeling, being the first Pseudophidian recorded from the Himalayas. This paper will be published in full in the Journal, Pt. II, No. 4, for 3. Description of a new Species of Rostellaria, from the Bay of Bengal.-By GEOFFREY NEVILL, C. M. Z. S. This paper contains a description of a highly interesting and very characteristic form, quite unlike any of the other seven known living species of the genus, which was dredged in deep water off Cheduba, Arrakan Coast, by Surgeon J. Armstrong, late Naturalist to the Indian Marine Survey. It will be published in full in the Journal, Pt. II, No. 4, for 1881. 4. Description of a new Species of the Lepidopterous genus Euripus from North Eastern India.-By J. WOOD-MASON, Deputy Superintendent, Indian Museum, Calcutta. This paper will be published in full in the Journal, Pt. II, No. 4. for 1881. LIBRARY. The following additions have been made to the Library since the Meeting held in November last. TRANSACTIONS, PROCEEDINGS AND JOURNALS, presented by the respective Societies and Editors. Berlin. K. preuss. Akad der Wissenschaften, Monatsbericht, June 1881. Bombay. Royal Asiatic Society,-Journal, Vol. X, No. 28, 1871-72. Bordeaux. Société de Géographie Commerciale, Bulletin, No. 21, 7th November 1881. Calcutta. Geological Survey of India,-Memoirs, Vol. XVIII, Part 2. Dresden. Kais. Leopoldinisch-Carolinische Deutsche Akademie der Naturforscher,-Nova Acta, Vol. XLI, Parts 1-2. Leipzig. Deutsche morgenländische XXXV, Parts 2 and 3. Gesellschaft,-Zeitschrift, Lisbon. Sociedade de Geographia,-Boletim, Second Series, No. 6. Vol. Colonias portuguezas em paiz Estrangeiro. VIII. Em Marrocos, pelo consul geral e encarregado de negocios José Daniel Colaço. London. The Academy,-Nos. 494-497. The Athenæum,-Nos. 2817-2820. Linnean Society,-Journal, Botany, Vol. XVIII, Nos. 108-113. No. 108. Murray, Geo.-On the application of the Results of Pringsheim's recent Researches on Chlorophyll to the Life of the Lichen. No. 109. Brown, N. E.-On some new Aroidea; with Observations on other known forms :-Part I. No. 110. Bentham, Geo.-Notes on Orchidea. No. 111. Watt, Geo.-Notes on the Vegetation, &c., of Chumba State and British Lahoul; with Descriptions of new species. Darwin, Francis.-The No. 112. Darwin, Francis.-On the power possessed by Leaves of placing No. 113. Masters, Maxwell T.-On the Conifers of Japan. Clarke, C. B. London. Linnean Society.-Journal, Zoology, Vol. XV, Nos. 84-85. No. 85. Macdonald, John Denis.-On the Classification of Gasteropoda. Part II. Watson, Rev. Robert Boog.-Mollusca of H. M. S. Challenger' Expedition.-Part VII. Transactions, Zoology, Vol. II, Part 2. Collingwood, Cuthbert.-On some new species of Nudibranchiate Mollusca from the Eastern Seas. Lubbock, Sir John.-On the Anatomy of Ants. Haddon, Alfred C.-On the Extinct Land Tortoises of Mauritius and Rodriguez. List of the Linnean Society, January, 1881. Nature, Vol. XXIV, Nos. 625-626; Vol. XXV, Nos. 627-628. . Royal Geographical Society,-Proceedings,-Vol. III, No. 9, September, 1881. Stewart, Lt.-Col. C. E.-The Country of the Tekke Turkomans, and the Mozambique. Sociedade de Geographia,-Boletim, No. 5, October, 1881. Munich. Repertorium für Experimental-Physik, Vol. XVII, Nos. 11 and 12. Weber, W. and Zöllner, F.-Elektrodynamische Widerstandsmessungen nach Roma. Società degli Spettroscopisti Italiani,-Memorie, Vol. X, No. 9, September 1881. Fievez, Ch.-Recherches sur l'élargissement des raies spectrales de l'hydrogène. Fievez, Ch.-Note sur l'analyse de la lumière de la comète de (b) 1881. Groneman, H. I. H.-Recherches sur la nature de la lumière zodiacale. Schaffhausen. La Société Entomologique Suisse,-Bulletin, Vol. VI, No. 4. Simla. United Service Institution of India,-Journal, Vol. X, No. 48. Stockholm. Kongliga Svenska Vetenskaps-Akademiens Förhandlingar,Ofversigt, Vols. XXXIV-XXXVII, 1877-80. Stockholm. Kongliga Svenska Vetenskaps-Akademiens,Bihang, Vol. IV, Pts. 1 and 2; Vol. V, Parts 1 and 2. May 1881. Beskyddare Hans Maj. T. Konungen, May 1878 to Lefnadsteckningar, Vol. II, Part 1. Zagreb. Arkeologickoga Druztva,-Viestnik, Vol. III, No. 4. BOOKS AND PAMPHLETS, presented by the Authors. DORN, B. Versuch einer Erklärung der auf einer Gemme im Besitze des Grafen S. Stroganov befindlichen Pehlewi-Inschrift. 4to. St. Petersburgh, 1881. FLEMING, SANDFORD. The adoption of a Prime Meridian to be common to all nations. The establishment of Standard Meridians for the regulation of time. Read before the International Geographical Congress at Venice, September 1881. 8vo. London, 1881. GODWIN-AUSTEN, LT.-COL. H. H. On the Land-shells of the Island of Socotra collected by Prof. I. Bayley Balfour. Part II. 8vo. London, 1881. Pam. Pam. HOERNLE, DR. A. F. R. Readings from the Arian Pâli. 16mo. Bombay, 1881. Pam. SEN, DR. RAM DAS. An Address to the Fifth International Oriental Congress, 1881. 8vo. Calcutta, 1881. Pam. TAGORE, SOURINDRO MOHUN. A Brief Account of the Tagore Family. 8vo. Calcutta, 1868. 1877. Short Notices of Hindu Musical Instruments. 32mo. Calcutta, A few Lyrics of Owen Meredith set to Hindu Music. 8vo. Calcutta, 1877. Six Principal Rágas, with a Brief View of Hindu Music. 4to. Calcutta, 1877. Fifty Tunes composed and set to music. 8vo. Calcutta, 1878. A few specimens of Indian Songs. 8vo. Calcutta, 1879. Mani-Málá, or a Treatise on Gems, Parts I and II. 8vo. Calcutta, 1879-81. Vení-Sanhára Nátaka, or the Binding of the Braid, a Sanskrit Drama by Bhatta-Nárayana, done into English. 8vo. Calcutta, 1880. Roma-Kavya, or a short sketch of Roman History, from the Earliest Days of Antiquity to the present time, in Sanskrit verse. 8vo. Calcutta, 1880. Eight Tunes, composed by. 8vo. Calcutta, 1880. |