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on the spots, but which latter have hardly that appearance. For several specimens of this animal, those of the Wolf, and of various other Tibetan mammalia, the Society is indebted to the repeated contributions of G. T. Lushington, Esq., of Almorah.

2. Mr. E. Lindstedt. A selection of bird-skius procured in the neighbourhood of Malacca. Among them is a fine specimen of Cuculus sparverioides, which I had never before seen from that part,—also beautiful specimens of Hemicercus javensis, Campephilus validus, Tiga Raflesii, Gecinus malaccensis, G. (?) rubiginosus, Sasia abnormis, Tchitrea affinis, Eupetes macrocercus, Lanius tigrinus, L. superciliosus, Enicurus frontalis, Orthotomus edela, &c.; with a newly hatched specimen, in spirit, of Python reticulatus, (Schneider). The Gecinus (?) rubiginosus (Eyton, v. Picus melanogaster, A. Hay), is, I may remark, allied in structure and colouring to G. (?) pyrrhotis, (Hodgson,) and with it might form a distinct named subdivision. The Malayan specimens which I have hitherto referred to Lanius phænicurus (v. melanotis, &c.), I now believe to be females or imperfectly mature males of L. superciliosus; and though quite undistinguishable from L. phenicurus of India, the latter nevertheless does not ever assume the broad white forehead continuous with the eye-streak, nor the uniform rufous of the upper-parts, characteristic of the adult male L. superciliosus. Lastly, respecting Tchitrea affinis, A. Hay, XV, 292, I may notice that subsequent observation of numerous specimens has fully confirmed the propriety of separating this bird from Teh. paradisi: I have traced it from Sikim to Arracan, the Tenasserim provinces, and Malayan peninsula; but without the local variation which I formerly indicated (p. 473 ante), as Malayan specimens have sometimes all the tail-feathers conspicuously black-edged throughout their length, while others have scarcely more of this black edge than in Tch. paradisi. The inferior size, and the much shorter and different-looking crest, afford invariable distinctions, however, by which Tch. affinis may be recognized apart from Tch. paradisi. One of Mr. Lindstedt's specimens of the former species, in the white plumage, differs from all others I have seen of either species, in having the next pair of tail-feathers to the middle pair considerably lengthened, measuring 7 inches, while the middle pair are 144 inches.

A Malacca collection lately received by Mr. Frith comprises the following species of birds, which I take the present opportunity of noticing. Spizaëtus nipalensis, (Hodgson,) of Bengal, in the wholly black plumage; distinguished by its superior size and merely rudimentary top-knot from the nearly allied, but distinct, Sp. caligatus, (Raffles,) of Malacca ;--and Bulaca indrani, (Sykes,) of India neither of which species I had previously seen from the Malayan

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peninsula; where the beautiful B. seloputa, (Horsf., v. pagodarum, Tem.', was procured by Dr. Cantor. The following Kingfisher is new.

Alcedo nigricans, nobis. This approaches A. grandis, nobis, in size, having the wing 3 in., and bill from gape 23 in. Colour much as in the allied species, as A. ispida, &c.; but the blue reduced to a few not very bright spots upon the crown and wings only, upon a fuscous ground; the scapularics being wholly fuscous, without a tinge of blue or green : but the middle of the back and rump are bright verditer, as usual; and the upper tail-coverts incline to indigo: loral spot, patch on side of neck, breast, flanks, and lower tail-coverts, deep ferruginous; the throat, front of neck, and middle of belly, rufescent-white: ear-coverts dull rufous, each feather tipped with dingy blue; and the moustaches fuscous, similarly tipped with dingy blue. Upper mandible black, and the lower coral-red, in the specimen.*

Batrachostomus affinis, nobis, n. s. Very similar to B. jarensis, in the plumage figured by Dr. Horsfield (and which is considered to be the young dress of Podargus auritus, Tem.),† but smaller, with no white spots on the wing, nor pale spot-like bands on the tertiaries and caudal feathers; but the former are uniformly freckled over with dusky specks, and the latter present a series of obscure freckled bands, seen best at a little distance: throat and breast plain rufous, with a few white feathers having a subterminal dusky border on the fore-neck and sides of the breast only. Rest as in B. javensis, juv. Length about 9 in., of wing 44 in., and middle tail-feathers the same. This is the small Malayan species which I formerly considered might be

* I have now before me the following Asiatic species of restricted Alcedo.

From

1. A. grandis, nobis. Wing 33 in.; bill to forehead 2 in. Like A. ispida, but the coronal spots of a paler and different blue, and no rufous on the ear-coverts. Darjeeling.

2. A. nigricans, nobis. Malacca.

3. A. ispida, Lin. Affghanistan.

4. A. bengalensis, Gm. India generally, Malayan peninsula.

5. A. moluccensis, nobis. Ear-coverts dark blue, and bill much deeper than in the last; the blue of the upper-parts very splendid, and of quite a different tint from that of either of the other species.

6. A. meningting, Horsfield: A. asiatica, Swainson. Malacca, Java.

7. A. biru, Horsfield. Java.

Among all these species, the nearest approximation exists in the case of A. ispida and A. bengalensis, which differ only in A. ispida being rather larger. The rest are well distinguished one from another.

A specimen in the auritus plumage, from Java, was presented to the Society by that of Batavia; and we have one in the dress figured by Dr. Horsfield, from the Malayan Peninsula, presented by F. Russell, Esq.

Podargus stellatus, Gould, P. Z. S. 1837, p. 43: but it does not accord with the description of that species, and its dimensions are rather superior.

Todirhamphus varius, (Eyton,) XV, 11. The young of this beautiful species. have the mantle and wings dark green, with a terminal pale fulvous spot on each feather, imparting a pretty speckled appearance.

3. From Major Jenkins, Gowhatti. Some skins of Anatide.

4. Mrs. Ashburner. A pair of living Anser cygnoides, from China.

5. Mr. J. R. Bell. A fresh head of the Jamnapári Goat, with ears 17 in. long, when fresh.

6. J. Maxton, Esq., Police Surgeon. A fresh-laid egg of the Grus antigone. This was unfortunately pilfered by a Monkey, who had broken loose, but not before I had taken a coloured figure and description of it. Length 3 in. by 2 in. where broadest; the small end narrowing considerably. Colour pale greyish-blue, scantily sprinkled over with specks and small blotches of rufous-brown, more numerous at the large end.

7. James Ilume, Esq. The skin and skeleton of a Python molurus, L., 14 ft. in length, killed on the reed-covered alluvial island formed near the right bank of the Hooghly, nearly opposite to Fort William.

8. Dr. Thorburn, Goalpara. A collection of sundries.

9. Mr. Birch, of the Pilot Service. A living young example of liverricula malaccensis, and various specimens of Crabs, &c.

10. Capt. R. Rollo, 50th Madras N. I. Three living Tortoises, from Vizigapatam, of the species Testuda stellata, Schweiger, v. T. actinoides, Bell, Dum. and Bibr. Hist. Rept. II, 66.

11. Baboo Srináth Mittra. A couple of young Cobras.

E. BLYTH.

Mr. Blyth's long supplementary Report upon the Society's collection of Australian Vertebrata, exhibited at the meeting, is postponed for the present.

Days of the Month.

Aspect of the Sky.

Meteorological Register kept at the Surveyor General's Office, Calcutta, for the Month of Oct. 1847.

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JOURNAL

OF THE

ASIATIC SOCIETY.

DECEMBER, 1847.

An Attempt to identify some of the places mentioned in the Itinerary of HIUAN THSANG. By Major WILLIAM ANDERSON, C. B. Bengal Artillery.

In the work, "FOE KOUE KI," or an Account of the Buddhist countries, translated from the Chinese original, by Remusat, revised and edited by Klaproth and Landresse, is given as an appendix the Itinerary of another Chinese traveller, HIUAN THSANG. These travels are concluded to have been undertaken in the 7th century; and the particulars narrated are made use of to verify the various places mentioned by Fa Hian, who is supposed to have travelled on his mission nearly two cercs earlier.

A desire to investigate the ancient accounts of North West India, led me to examine the itinerary of Hiuan Thsang with some attention. After no little trouble, I arrived at a theory which I have endeavoured to work into the present form.

We receive the original Chinese in the shape of a French translation made under circumstances of much difficulty.

The original work appears not to have been in the hands of the translators; who were necessitated to pick out the portions of it which existed in modern Chinese Encyclopedias; when to this difficulty we add the abstruse nature of the religious basis of the original, and couple with these the intricacies of the Chinese language, only commencing now to be studied and understood in Europe; we shall not be astonished if the translation be not perfect; but rather be compelled to admire the labour, study, patience and perseverance of the translators which have given to Europe this wonderful production.

No. XII.-NEW SERIES.

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