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118 F. Stoliczka—Note on Andamanese and Nicobarese Reptiles. [May,

Such an elaborate system as this had full claim to be heard on the audi alteram partem principle ; we must not presume that it was wrong, because it was so very simple. People very often overlook things nearest them. Hasty conclusions would, in this instance particularly, be absolutely of no value at all.

6. Notes on some Andamanese and Nicobarese Reptiles.— By Db. F. Stoliczka. (Abstract.)

Alter a few general remarks relating to the distribution of certain Reptiles on these islands, the author gives a detailed description of Phelsuma Andamanense, of a new Qymnodactylus from Preparis Island, of a new Mocoa from South Andaman, and of a new Tiaris from the island of Tillangchang. He exhibited a male and female of the remarkable little snake Typhloscincus Nico-baricus which is shewn to be a Dibamus, the males of which have hind-limbs while the females have none, thus confirming an opinion, which was some I time ago put forth by Prof. Schlegel.

Mr. G. E. Dobson exhibited and presented to the Society's album photographs of a mosque at Tribeni near Hughli taken by him in December last.

The place was described by Mr. D. Money in the XVIth Vol. of the Society's Journal, and its Muhammadan antiquities by Mr. Bloohmann in the XXXIXth Vol. part I, p. 280, for 1870.

Also the following photographs of the aboriginal inhabitants of the Southern Andaman Island, taken by him, with Mr. T. R. Lewis's assistance, when at Port Blair last year.

No. 1. A photograph of the Chief of one of the tribes in the vicinity of Port Blair and his wife, with necklace of finger and toe bones of her ancestors.

No, 2. Photograph of the same individuals standing. No. 3. Photograph of a woman from Rutland Island. No. 4. Group of five young Andamanese women. No. 5. Group of Andamanese men and women. Widow in centre with skull of her deceased husband.

The receipt of the following communications was announced—

1. Notes and translation of General Cunningham's inscriptions from Beliar.—By Babu Pratapa Chandra Ghosha.

2. Metrical Translations from Chand.—By F. S. Growse, Esq., M. A.

3. Note on the genus Oymnops.—Bj W. T. Blanford, F. G. S., C. M.

Z. S.

4. On Aquila bifasciata and Aquila orientalis.—By W. E. Brooks, Esq.

C. E.

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1873.]
F. Stoliczka—On the Passalidce.
117
and effects, and had taught modern naturalists to regard classification as true only when it is based upon those affinities which result from community of evolution. A true classification therefore on this view is to be regarded as the final result of the science, and is to be patiently worked out by studying the causes that have determined it. Dr. Kaup's system sweeps away all this, and seeks to impose in its stead, an arbitrary Procrustean plan of creation, fanciful and mystical to the last degree. It is allowable and even beneficial in the early days of a Science to adopt an artificial classification of objects, since any arrangement is better than none. But to seek to impose such a system on the Zoology of the present day, and to sort and manipulate species and genera to make them succumb to an a priori hypothesis, appears to be an attempt to set up as a leading principle of science the maxim " Si les faits ne s'accordent pas avec ma theorie, tant pis pour les faits"

Dr. Stoliczka, in reply, expressed his astonishment at Mr. Blan-ford's unjustifiable remarks. He said that that was not the way to treat mental productions. Dr. Kaup was an old naturalist of very high standing, and his system, as proposed, was by no means a fanciful one ; it was based upon those characters of organisation which make the animal what it is—and that was no fancy. Philosophic systems had from time immemorial occupied the greatest minds, and not fancies. Dr. Kaup had not only not thrown out a suggestion of a fanciful arrangement, but he had given his system a definite form, he had established rules, he considered that lie had found the law according to which nature works in development, and that only according to this could the animals exist. He had given a fair test to his system in working out one group of animals in the most minutely detailed manner, and he «sked the scientific world for an opinion, whether he had succeeded in this or not; he wished to be disproved, if wrong. Now, how unfair it would be, if all this mental work were to be rejected with phrases. We required first of all facts, not ivords or ideas. Dr. Kaup's definitions of genera and species were not made up in the first instance according to a fanciful scheme, they were drawn from the animals themselves. Careful observations and facts were the ground on which we must in the first instance meet Kaup. Philosophic treatment of the facts must follow, in order to so meet the genial naturalist.

Dr. Stoliczka said he had taken up the study of the Passalidce, because he wished to test Kaup's conclusions on his own materials, and because he thought it a priori almost impossible that a really natural classification would be obtainable in the way suggested by Kaup. After devoting some time to this subject—certainly only with scanty materials—he must express his grave doubts as to the validity of the system in the form at present proposed by Kaup ; but he would be sorry to have spoken, if he had said that the system was really invalidated by his researches. He was not prepared to say that.