160 Proceedings of the Royal Society. 



nor Xanthochymus ovalijolius, as conjectured by Dr Wiglit and Mr 

 Arnott, nor Stahgmitis gambogioides, according to Murray and 

 Koenig, but is a species described by Lamarck and Gartner under 

 the name of Garcinia or Mangostana morella^ although it differs 

 from all of these genera in the structure of its stamens, and, there- 

 fore, probably ought to be considered a new genus among those 

 producing a ganibogioid juice. 



Dr Christison proved, that, at the present time, Ceylon gamboge 

 is not an article of European commerce, and that the whole gam- 

 boge of the markets of this country comes, as in the time of Bon- 

 tius, from China. After mentioning the analysis of fine gamboge 

 made by Braconnot in France and John in Prussia, he stated the 

 following as the mean composition of the several varieties of gam- 

 boge he has hitherto examined : — 



Pipe gamboge of Siam : Resin, 72.2 ; Arabin, 23.0 ; Moisture, 4.8 ;=100.0. 

 Cake gamboge of Siam: Resin, 64.8 ; Arabin, 20.2 ; Fecula, 5.6; Lignin, 5.3 

 Moisture, 4.1;=100.0. Ceylon gamboge sent by Mrs Colonel Walker 

 Resin, 70.2 ; Arabin, 10.6 ; Fibre of wood and bark, 5.6 ; Moisture, 4 6 

 Ceylon gamboge, adhering to a specimen of the bark sent by Mr David An- 

 derson Blair : Resin, l^.br, Arabin, 18.3 ; Cerasin, 0.7; Moisture, 4.8;=99.3. 



The proportion of the gum to the resin varied somewhat in each 

 variety, but never differed more than 2 per cent, from the means 

 given above. 



The author added, that he had found the resin to be the active 

 principle of gamboge- 

 He inferred from the composition of the different kinds of gam- 

 boge, and other circumstances detailed in his paper, that the cake 

 gamboge of Siam is not entirely a natural production, but a manu- 

 factured article : that Ceylon gamboge, if freed from incidental 

 fibrous matter, corresponds almost exactly with Siam gamboge : 

 that, therefore, they are probably produced by the same plant : 

 that Ceylon gamboge possesses precisely the same medicinal pro- 

 perties : and that this variety, if more carefully collected, may, in 

 all probability, be applied with equal advantage to every economi- 

 cal purpose which is at present served by the finest pipe gamboge 

 of Siam. 



Proceedings of the Wernerian Natural History Society, 

 {Continued from vol. xx. p. 423.) 



1836, March 12 Robert Jameson, Esq. P. in the Chair. The 



Secretary read Mr Richard ParnelFs account of the occurrence of 

 the White-bait, Clupea alba, in the Frith of Forth, in considerable 

 abundance ; and also his description of the Sprat or Garvey-herring, 

 C. sprattus. 



March 26. — David Falconar, Elsq. formerly V. P. in the Chair. 

 The Secretary read an account of the Tadpole fish, Raniceps tri' 



