1896.1 F. Yiun— Two rare ducks. 61 



mark on No. 5. If it is to be read as rja, they go to prove tliat 

 Sanskrit was written in the second century B. C, when the masons' 

 marks were made ; or, at least, add a hitherto unknown letter to the 

 Pali alphabet. 



For these reasons, casts of the complete set of the northern row 

 of pillar bases are worth taking, and I am leaving instructions accord- 

 ingly. 



G. A. Grierson. 

 The 25th November, 1895. 



P. 8. — Since writing the above, the Mahanth and his people assure 

 me that no one has ever seen the pillar bases on the south side, which, 

 are now built into the foundation wall of the Temple, except the first 

 one, which Sir A. Cunningham says was marked a. They say, ' Cun- 

 ningham Sahib read his books and took measurements, and then dug 

 into the wall of the Temple and found the a base. He never dug into 

 the wall for the others, but as Cunningham Sahib says they were there, 

 they are there. Cunningham Sahib could read books and knew every- 

 thing, and when he said anything was in any place, he was always 

 right.' This probably means that General Cunningham did not venture 

 to dig into the walls for the last eight bases which his account shows 

 were entirely within the foundations. He certainly removed No. 1, 

 and probably the plinths of Nos. 2 and 3, which were partly visible 

 and could be removed without injury to the main building (see quotation 

 on page 54). These are the three exhibits now in the A96ka gallery of 

 the Indian Museum. 



G. A. G. 



Since the above was printed. Dr. Biihler informs me that has no 

 doubt that the sign on No. 5 is an old form of yja. 



G. A. G. 



Mr. Frank Finn, Deputy Superintendent of the Indian Museum, 

 exhibited some rare Indian Ducks and read the following note : — 



On the occurrence in India of tivo rare ducks, Fuligula baeri and 



Erismatura leucocephala. 



By Frank Finn, b.a., f.z.s., Deputy Superintendent, Indian Museum. 



The ducks of which I have the honour to exhibit specimens to the 

 Society to-night, belong to two species, one of which, as far as I can 

 ascertain, has not hitherto been recorded as a visitor to our Empire. 



I would first draw your attention to eight specimens of Baer's 



