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Muttra 15th Sept

To B H Hodgson Esqre
RD Agent
Goo Gal
Katmandoo
Nepaul

My dear Sir
I fear you will have thought me forgetful of you, but to shew you, I have not been so, I send half a dozen lines to say that more than 5 weeks ago I sent over to Major Herring of the 37th Regt. N.I. at Agra a case in which, there is a Tin Case containing the few specimens of Birds that I had and which I requested him to get down to Mr [Grey?] at Patna by the first opportunity, as yet no opportunity has offered, but in all this month, we may [?] calculate up on one presenting itself - the delay I hope will not be [material?] the Birds have been very securely packed in Tin and [?] down so that we may feel pretty confident that they will reach you in good order. To each specimen I have appended a brief note which will give you all the particulars that I am in possession of regarding them: some two or three specimens will I doubt not be new to you, and I shall be grateful if the lost prove acceptable. Yesterday I obtained two Bustards for you from the neighbourhood of [Hansia?] and these, I will forward also to Dinapoor by an early opportunity with anything else, that I may meet with which I think may prove an acquisition to your Museum. The Bat and two or three others of the same order I will also send down. I did not like to put the Bottles containing them with the Birds fearing that accidental breakage might destroy the entire [lot?] I very much regret to say that up to this hour I have been able to procure a good specimen of the [Bijoo?] such as I could send to you. The weather has been so unseasonable and the ground is [?] so dry, from want to Rain that the Kanjurs cannot get at them, if we have a good fall of water soon i.e. before my duties carry me into the district, I yet trust we shall be able to procure you a specimen or two male and female if possible. When you write me again just say in what way you would wish them to be preserved and how I can best manage it. [Devarell Rupesh Lebveld?] a good friend of mine used to pack Mamlia in Jars containing a mixture of [Jpait?] Alum and Spices. If you approve of this plan - and if so I shall follow it you perhaps can give me a Rp for the Pickle. About a fortnight ago my people accidentally met a couple of Kanjurs, conveying a dead Bijoo into the city, they brought the Men and Animal to me, but it was in such a mutilated state, and so advances in putrefication that it's skeleton would have been useless. I made a few notes which I herewith send you, which shall be added to if I have the good fortune to get possession of another Bijoo ere I proceed into the district on Duty. I merely copy the remarks as I entered them in my private Memorandum Book.
IN MY PRIVATE MEMORANDUM BOOK
Lessitox: Common name Bijoo of the Western [states]
Female: full size killed near [Mathea] and brought for my inspection on 4th Sept 1837
Food: Carrion of every description by reports of the Kanjurs
Abode: In holes of all varieties of depth, but chiefly under the foundations of old ruins report by Kanjurs
Weight 19lb 10 ounces avoirdupois. Extreme length from point of nose to extremity of tail 3 feet. From nose to first cerebral vertebra 7 3/4 inches. Length of [?] 2 3/4 inches From neck to Anus 20 inches. Length of Tail 7 inches. Measure across the shoulders to the extremity of the longest claws of the forefeet 28 1/2 inches. Length of Fore limb, from Shoulders to the extremity of the longest nail 13 1/2 inches. Length of head - Do- from Hip to extremity of longest nail 12 inches. Length of Fore Foot from extremity of Heel to point longest nail 5 1/2 inches.-Do- of Hind Foot - Do- Do Do -To -Do - Do- 4 3/4 inches 5 toes armed with Nails on each fore foot: Inner toe of nail shortest outer Toe and nail, next shortest. 3 centre Toes and Nails excepting that the hind nails are only half the length of the fore ones. Length of longest nail on Fore Foot 1/4 inch -Do Do- Do- Do- Hind foot 1/2 inch. or a little more. Teats on 2 each side of the abdomen one inch asunder on the same side and 3 inches separate, across the abdomen, the lowest Teat is situated 4 inches from the Inferior orifice of the Vagina.

Teeth in half the upper Jaw
3 false Molars
1 small Bicuspidate
1 Canine and 3 Incisors:
The latter are by no means
trenchant but short project
little from the alveolar process
and are extremely blunt

[SKETCH]

This sketch will perhaps make clear the meas[uremen]ts. Teeth in half lower Jaw the same as in the upper excepting 2 Incis. Teeth The only one there is short and blunt
Teeth 8 upper jaw
6 lower jaw

Extreme length of the alimentary canal 13 feet 9 1/2 inches, that is from the upper point of the osophagus to [cardiac] orifice 16 1/2 inches, length of stomach 7 inches and from pyloric orifice to the extreme point of the intestine at the anus 11 feet 10 inches. Stomach was empty, and so the intestines. The former I filled with liquid tying it just below the pyloric, and filling it up to the origin of the cardiac orifice. It contained when full, and quite distended 32 1/2 ounces [of] fluid. Apothecaries measure- Colour of the animal: is as follows: Throat, Chest, Abdomen, Inside Arms and Thighs deep dirty brown and scantily covered with course black hairs- surface of Head, Neck, Body and to within an inch of the extremity of the Tail, light dirty white approaching to grey: the Hair thick, throughout: from Eye Lids to Nose deep black: Eye Lids are rigid and provided with Eyebrows: The Ears are provided with little or no whiskers are perceptible, a few straggling hairs arise in the Upper Lip: The Arms and Legs are black. The animal altogether strongly resembles the 'Teledu' or 'Mydaws' Meliceps of Dr Horsfield, but it is more [disgusting?] has the white stripe on the back more extreme; its tail is longer, and sharp pointed, the snout also is not so long; neither is the eye situated so high in the head. I send you a slight sketch of the beast, merely to show you how deep the white stripe runs down the side: it is like the animal and quickly copied from a drawing I made of the beast at the time I examined it.
Such my dear Sir, are the particulars I have been able to collect from you, thus far, but they shall be rendered still more complete, if I can only get hold of another animal. This Bijoo, is of the Mephitic Weasel Tribe, and had it been in a bearable state, I would (with the [?] of a medical friend of mine) have looked at the [nephritic?] glands and glands from whence the secretion comes. We will do so with the next however. Pardon this hurried letter, I am much interrupted, and [otherwise?] suffering from a sharp attack of morbid sensibility of the stomach and intestines which materially distracts my head and mind. I need not say I shall most happily render myself of service to you in any way and therefore beg you will not hesitate to [use?] me if I can aid you in search of Indian Mamalia
Yours very truly
Robt. Wroughton

Express overland
B.H. Hodgson Esq
Care of Messrs Coutts & Co
Strand, London

Sept 21 1844
Calcutta

My dear Hodgson

[Maddock?] sent me a few weeks ago an extract from a letter of yours [reverting] to the publication of your Zoological Drawings by Mr. Howard I would gladly do my utmost in furtherance of so desirable an object but as I told Maddock I thought you were in a better position by proximity to artists and publishers to ascertain if at the high rate the drawings must be sold, the subscription could fill and secondly whether the addition of a more obscure name be interested in the progress of the work might not interfere with its success. I did what I could in giving publicity to your prospectus and publishing in the Journal a coloured specimen of your [reduced?[ drawing: I think England and not India is the place to ascertain the two main points noted over page and you will oblige me by letting me know how these stand after enquiring and how you wish me to act. Yours of the 20th July has been sent me by Piddington would you know the arrogance Blyth has given us by disobedience, shuffling and erosion of his duty as we acquire it to be done, you would not wonder at any thing from him, he now says as an excuse for three years delay in editing [B's?] Zoology of the subject on the plates which [?] that he has lost [Dr Ford's?] notes on them! I will see about your papers the man is [deluded?] by that wretched professional English [?] which insists in denying all merit and if possible interfering with all success of any other naturalist more especially one not professional:- the [?] of his finding him has been [?] discussed and I am ready to carry it through for the amount of arrogance I undergo from the jealousy, arrogance smugness and absurd pretentions of all my subordinates in the Society requires a thinking example you shall have by the next mail of the fate of your papers and I hope have copies sent you as desired. Allen & Co have also written good accounts of the progress of the Bust, it's place is empty but the [?] say the vacant pedestal waiting it with impatience at least [?] impatience as that of which [?] I [shall] be proud [?] of having seen these noble busts of great and good names added to our collection in my time [?] Princep, Hodgson: - we are going on in all departments though not exactly straight as in Blyth's and Sir [B] Hardinge will be our President. I trust you enjoy England:- I doubt much if I will see England again. I have played a great game and tried to come in and drew the stakes just as I hoped for success. Let me hear from you, and believe me
Very sincerely
H. Torrens

British Museum

To Brian Houghton Hodgson

29 Jan 1847

My dear Sir

As we are sending some of the copies of the catalogues I take the opportunity of sending you some letters which have been [waiting?] here. I hope the catalogue will be satisfactory to you, there are some points on which we may differ but such differences elicit truth while easy compliances only perpetuate error. I have just had a visit from Mr. Grace who gave me an account of you. I have looked over his skins he has no Mammalia and only three kinds of Birds not in your collection. Blyth appears to have treated him as he did you as he passed Calcutta. Your skeleton(s) has caused us to go on collecting others and now we have three times as many as they have in the College of Surgeons and nearly as many as they have in Paris except in [?]. We are printing a catalogue of them and your specimens will there appear again as they will in my new catalogue of Mammalia and Birds now in the press. You will see by the catalogue what are the desiderata of Skin and Bones but I shall be very glad to receive good fresh skins of each species and they shall be duly stuffed and [protected?] from London dust [?] soon makes new ones requisite and desirable. I shall send you a list of the Drawings but we have not so many hands here as you have in India and these things take time. I should much like to have the Wild Horse and Ass. What is the Kiang? I shall have a fine work on antelopes for you shortly
Ever yours truly

J.E. Gray

VIZ 27 Sheets of fish, snakes, lizards etc. and 6 sheets of bats also a vol of Meerat Mag and 37 Mss descriptions also a new paper on [Murines?] and another on Birds abstract of [?] paper (to Zool Socy) Gray has for correction List of distribution of skins, Bird and Beast and List of Drawings, recent that is, those given to himself and to Gerrard and those first recd from Zool Socy

Original Drawings lent to Gray to look at returned

[Namthiki?] right opposite
Darj. on shoulder of Tendong

May 5th 1849

My dear H
I have just finished a long story to Campbell about my reception in Sikkim which comprises all of importance I have to detail and which I need not repeat you will be glad to learn that the new [Vakhil?] the Tchebu Lama has as far as appearances go my full approbation, whether armed with proper powers of no I cannot say. I hope he is, having very promptly stopped the feeble demonstration just shewn by an ill conditioned burly Bhotea here and sent forward an order which he says will prevent further mistakes. The man is the one I told you of at Bhomsong is the Dewan of the late Rajah's son, he has been to Llasa and Dejauli resided at both, swears that my [grapes?] there are brought fresh to Ladakh that it is a cold place in Winter too hot for his present robes for many months of the Summer and has but a scanty growth of [?] trees he never saw the [Bison] but describes it well and as from the North where the horns are brought to Llasa much prized. You would get much out of him and will find him altogether a fool and a [?] (and I speak advisedly) superior a man. I am pleased with my first impressions regarding him and can only say I most sincerely hope that Campbell's troubles have ended or approach it. After leaving you we bade good bye to Mrs Campbell and the children from whom I thought I should never get away and then down to Grants and when I called on [McDonnell?] and chiapri both were at breakfast and I was rather superciliously presented to my Lady, with a sort of shrug of the shoulder as much as to say that's she whatever you may think of her status, old C called her Mrs McGregor or McKenzie I think. She was very nicely dressed, modest and well looking, discretely behaved, pretty withall and gracious - tall straight and handsome in every degree "a well favored wench, very broad in between the eyes and broad mouthed but undeniable in forehead, hair and a good nose. I talked advisedly about flowers and the comparative advantages of Darj and [?] whilst old [Chiapi?] ate bread and jelly like a [Mursey?] boy. I pricked his sound ear. Without nonsense she is very nearly a Lady in looks and manners. Archy would not come in and I left him to go on and wait for me [below viridi sub umbra?]. Mr McDonnell you know and I like him none the less, he remains here for the season and I am to call on my return that way! We dined and slept at the Gt. Rungeet chatting [?] and all the more so as it seemed too [?] to contrast more harshly with my present solitude. Campbell is really all you say of him putting all his affectionate regard for me on one side, his bonhomie in the jungles through appreciation of the most trifling desire to please and opportunity of being pleasant between the most amiable man breathing I would give a great deal for his temper which I [feel?] all the more from having fallen into a towering passion myself on the moment of my arrival with [Hopman] and [?] [?] These genei had preceded us, pitched my little cotton tent and put the [?] with covers off inside, it was raining cats and dogs and the 2 fools stood by seeing the whole of our goods getting soaked without lifting a hand to throw a tarpaulin over them. I looked very hard for the Pinus Excelia but could not see a specimen, nor does one of my Lepchas or Bhoteas know any other species but [tonpifolia?]. If the specimen in Campbell's garden really came from this it must have been extremely rare and is now extant but I doubt the authenticity of it's origin. The slope of Tendong a S. expanse to leeward of [Simbul?] I found and expected much drier than either slope of [?] [?] ascending to 3000ft but not very much of it. Still enough for the leaves to make the path slippery it grows no where in Sikkim, inside or outside. To-day I have been passing a very narrow [?] [?] expanding into flats and some of the spurs from it are singularly terrace like and of equal altitude. The scenery is extremely beautiful from the river beds upwards chiefly owing to the great delicacy of the young foliage, the tints are lovely and delicate, the [?] and acacia below and the smaller [?] and above this (6000ft) you enter the gloomy and harsher coloured region of Darjeeling woods but still [?] here than there. The hills too here are more rugged in outline and the landscape hence varied and pretty views of this character are rare in Sikkim. I looked again at the flats along the Gt. Rungeet and am, most positive that the rivers had nothing to do with the transport of the enormous boulders 12 and 15 yards long which are deposited on the top of the deep beds or rubbish earth and water even boulders. The accompanying may give you some idea of their position relatively to sides of valley and river being most attendant on the centre of the flat they could not be rolled down from above and indeed shew no signs of that, and any stream of sufficient force to wash them on to their present position would have been infinitely more than sufficient to have swept away the whole deposits on which they lie. I presume the Deposits to have been the bottom when the valley was an arm of the sea that boulders were deposited from glaciers in the new Fiords that on the retirement of the waters the bay became a river when beds are stretched from [?] gradually retiring to its present level always eating away the preexisting detrital flow of the valley which by diversions of its channel may be still modified but not materially altered. I must now break off and will write you up my journal by next [?] to Darjeeling. My best regards to Tayler who I wish was with me
Ever your sincerely grateful and affectionate
Jos. D. Hooker4
I am travelling in great comfort as to stores and [traps?]