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34 inches, and tail externally 2 inches; bill to forehead above Zinch, and tarse inch; 2nd and 3rd primaries equal and longest, the 4th and 1st successively a trifle shorter. Summer aspect of plumage uniform dusky above, inclining to greyish on the shoulders and rump, and everywhere margined with dark claret-red; throat, and occipital stripe commencing at each eye, with the lower parts below the breast, fine dark roseate; crown and breast margined with deeper claret-red; tail a little forked, and dusky; wings dusky-brown, their coverts margined with dull-red, the tertiaries towards the end of their outer webs with ruddybrown, and the primaries with pale brown: bill shaped as in a British Redpole, or nearly as in Carduelis, and dusky above, paler beneath; feet dark brown.

56. L. fusca, Nobis. Allied to L. cannabina, but the beak more lengthened and bulging laterally about the middle, wherein it differs from L. saturata and the other Redpoles. Length of a female 5 inches, of wing 3 inches, and tail externally 24 inches, being a little furcate; bill to forehead inch, and tarse inch : 3 first primaries sub-equal, the 2nd somewhat the longest, and the 4th shorter than the first. Colour uniform dull ashy olive-brown, a little fainter below, and paled on the middle of the belly and tips of the under tail-coverts: the back having a very slight cast of orange, more developed on the rump and upper tailcoverts, where mingled with dull red; wings and tail dusky, more or less edged with orange brown: bill dusky above and at the tip, the lower mandible paler: feet pale brown.

I shall now conclude by describing three other species of birds which I suspect are new.

Pica megaloptera, Nobis. This is the fourth species of true black and white Magpie with which I am acquainted, and it is readily distinguished from the others by its larger size, and more particularly that of the wings, while the tail is proportionally less elongated, and by the absence of any grey band across the rump. Length 18 to 20 inches, of wing from bend 94 to 93 inches, and middle tail feathers 10 to 103 inches; bill to commencement of frontal plumes 1 to 1 inch, and tarse 2 to 24 inches. Plumage and markings exactly similar to those of the Common Magpie, except that the glosses are somewhat different (as I observed upon formerly comparing two specimens in the Asiatic Society's Museum with examples of the true British Magpie

brought by Dr. Cantor from Chusan); and the plumage of the rump is everywhere broadly black-tipped, through dull cinereous within. habits Bootan.

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Ampeliceps, Nobis. Allied to Pastor, but the bill more sharp-pointed and widening to its base, having the terminal third moderately compressed, and the ridge of the upper mandible obtusely angular; nostrils large and impended by bristly feathers, and the gape unarmed. Tarse and toes much shorter and more robust than in Pastor, the former not exceeding in length the middle toe with its claw, and the claws also rather short, stout, and much curved. Wings reaching beyond the middle of the tail, having the first primary minute, the 2d and 3d nearly equal, the second being longest. Skin thick, and plumage rather firm and glossy.

A. coronatus, Nobis. Length 8 inches, of wing from bend 5 inches, and tail 2 inch; bill to forehead & inch, and to gape 1 inch; and tarse inch. General colour black with a steel shine; the forehead, lores, crown and occiput, chin and throat, together with a large wing-spot on the base of the outer webs of the primaries excepting the first one,-bright yellow; the coronal feathers slender and rigid, and those of the sides of the forehead erect and curving over towards the mesial line, forming a frontal crest somewhat resembling that of Pastor cristatellus: inner webs of all the primaries yellowish-white at base, producing a large mark of this colour on the under surface of the wing. Bill dusky black, and legs apparently yellowish-brown. Tenasserim.

Timixos, Nobis. A puzzling form, as regards its exact position, combining the characters of many very different genera. The bill is quite Parian, or shorter than the head, strong, higher than broad, the ridge of the upper mandible obtuse, and its tip slightly emarginated; both mandibles are nearly of equal length, having their outlines distinctly accurved: naral orifices a round aperture in the fore-part of the nasal membrane the gape feebly bristled. Tarse elongated and slender, the toes moderate, the outermost longer than the inner toe, and the claws compressed, that on the hind toe much the strongest and the most curv. ed. Wings having the 4th and 5th primaries equal and longest, the 3d being a trifle shorter: tail even, and otherwise much resembling that of Tricophorus. The wings and tail are tolerably firm, but the rest of the plumage is excessively light, soft, and unsubstantial.

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T. meruloides, Nobis. Length 7 inches, of wing 33 inches, and tail the same; bill to forehead 2 inch, and to gape 13 inch; tarse 1 inch. General colour dull brown, paler underneath, and having a slight rusty tinge on the rump, flanks, and belly; throat and fore-neck whitish, indistinctly spotted with brown; tail slightly washed with yellow, as more conspicuously seen on its under surface; the greater wingcoverts, and tertiaries in part, rufous-edged, and a faint trace of yellowish on the margins of the primaries and secondaries. Bill dusky, and legs brown, neither light nor dark. Locality uncertain.

The two last, with the other new generic forms indicated in this paper, are all of very distinct character, insomuch that the propriety of their separation will hardly be disputed, though it may be that at least part of them bear prior appellations, and that some of my presumed new species have been described in works to which I have not access. This, however, is a chance to which all who venture on proposing a name must be liable, and I trust that if I have failed in identifying some species which are even tolerably well known, this will have been compensated by the number of synonyms which I have succeeded in reducing, while, at all events, until such pre-bestowed terms can be learned, those here applied will still be temporarily useful as substitutes, and I think I need hardly add that I have duly laboured in every instance in endeavouring to find a name, before venturing to coin those provisional ones which I have ultimately resolved upon proposing.

Feb. 26th, 1842.

Proceedings of the Asiatic Society.

(Friday Evening, 4th February, 1842.)

The Honourable H. T. PRINSEP, Esq. President, in the Chair.

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E. B. Ryan, Esq. proposed at the last Meeting, was ballotted for and duly elected a Member of the Society.

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Ordered, that the usual communication of his election be made to Mr. RYAN, and that he be furnished with the rules of the Society for his guidance.

Sir E. RYAN and Dr. EWALD were also elected Honorary Members of the Society.

Library.

The following Books were presented:

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List of Books received for the Meeting on the 4th February, 1842. Naturalist's Library.—Mammalia, vol. 11th, Marsupials, Edinburgh, 1811, Transactions of the Agricultural and Horticultural Society of India, vol. 8th, .. I Annals and Magazine of Natural History, vol. 8th, No. 48, Programme de la Société Royale D'Agriculture et de Commerce de Caen, P The Calcutta Christian Observer, new series, vol. 3rd, No. 26, Feb. 1842, The Calcutta Monthly Journal, 3rd series, Nos. 83 & 84, October and November, 1842,

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The Secretary presented a model of a Ceylon Boat, casts of Zodiacal Coins, also some casts of other miscellaneous Coins. A box of Coins collected in Kunnouj were likewise presented by Lieut. McGREGOR, 66th Regt. N. I.

Read Letter from Mr. Secretary BUSHBY of 31st January 1842, with two small boxes, containing two specimens of Porcelain Clay, marked Nos. 1 and 2.

"The specimen, No. 1," writes the Principal Collector of Canara, “ was taken from a hill on the South bank of the Baloor river, a little to the North of Mangalore, and within a mile of the Sea. A small stream of water flows from the place whence it was taken, which appears to make it clear, and more free from particles of Laterite than the other specimens. The clay taken from this spot is used as chunam for white-washing houses, and also by the Sepoys as pipe clay for cleaning their belts. The specimen No. 2, was taken from the face of a hill a short distance from the former spot."

Read Letter from G. T. LUSHINGTON, Esq., Commissioner of Kemaon, of 25th January, 1842, advising the dispatch per dåk bangy, for presentation to the Society, of a doom, or brick of Tea, which was brought to Almorah from Tuklakote by the Ex-commandant of that place, by name Bustee Ram. Mr. LUSHINGTON Writes, "The Tea is packed or pressed together in the usual manner, and I suspect there is Soda or Salt mired in it; at least I find it rather brackish in taste. One of the merchants of this place, (Almorah,) who engages in the Bhote trade, tells me, that this doom is of the second quality, (Junjhoo,) and it is worth about six or seven rupees. The same informant has given me the following memorandum regarding price and quality of Teas brought down to Tuklakote by the Thibet traders, and there purchased by our Bhotias.

1st Quality, Loodhan; value per doom, 12 rupees.

2nd Quality, Junjhoo; value per doom, 6 to 7 rupees. " 3rd Quality, Chinjhoo; value per doom, 5 to 6 rupees. "The doom weighs 3 to 4 seers."

Read Letter from Lieut. S. R. TICKELL, of 19th January, 1842, advising departure of Gomes, the Taxidermist, who had left Chybassa, in consequence of having caught a fever, also forwarding a bill for Gomes's pay, &c. up to the 15th January, 1842, amounting to Co.'s Rs. 168: 1.

Lieut. TICKELL Writes, "He (Gomes) takes with him a chest full of such birds, &c. as have been collected. I have sent a catalogue with it. I am now employing a Mussulman to preserve whatever I can pick up in my rambles. He gets now 5 Rs. a month, and has been promised more when he thoroughly knows his work; but in case of my not being successful in obtaining really valuable specimens, I shall not expect the Society to remunerate me for this expence, as it is a very trifling one." Read observations on the genus Spathium, by M. P. EDGEWORTH, Esq., of the Bengal Civil Service, which will be published in the Journal.

Read Letter of 3rd February, 1842, from Mr. E. BLYTH, Curator of the Museum, recommending, as an able and experienced travelling Collector of Zoological specimens, who could aid him very materially in investigating the animal productions of this country, Mr. M. HOLQUETT, a former Assistant of Monsr. Duvaucel, who offers bis services for a Salary of Rs. 50 per mensem, exclusive of travelling charges, which are to be paid to him separately.

The foregoing recommendation having been referred to the Committee of Papers, with the proposal of employing Mr. HoLQUETT experimentally on a Salary of Rs. 40

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