272 The Teeth of Fishes. [Sess. 
Empire. Since then it has been incorporated with British 
India, the chief town being Gaohati. Before leaving Assam 
Mr Bruce entered into an agreement with one of the native 
chiefs for the supply of a number of tea plants. In the follow- 
ing year Mr Bruce’s brother visited the chief, and under the 
agreement obtained a quantity of tea seed and a considerable 
number of plants. These were put into gardens, but nothing 
seems to have been done till ten years later, when the question 
was raised as to the plant being indigenous. When this was 
decided, an attempt was made to ascertain the conditions 
which tended to make successful cultivation. In reporting, 
the investigating committee expressed the opinion that the 
native tree had, through lack of proper cultivation, grown 
rank, and therefore deteriorated, and they recommended the 
introduction of the Chinese variety. This took place about 
1835, and led to the production of new varieties. Mr Robert 
Bruce had not been idle, however, for during the years inter- 
vening since his first discovery of the native tree he had 
been travelling all over the country, finding new places where 
the tea was growing wild, and by the year 1840 he had 
discovered considerably over one hundred tea tracts. 
About the year 1850 the Government gave up the experi- 
mental stations, and tea cultivation, which had become an 
established industry, passed into the hands of individuals 
and corporations. 
Il—THE TEETH OF FISHES CONTRASTED WITH 
THOSE OF OTHER ORDERS. 
By Mr W. H. MENMUIR, L.D.S., R.C.S.E. 
(Read Nov. 27, 1901.) 
THE teeth serve a variety of purposes, the principal being to — 
cut and masticate food; to combat, as in the tiger and pig; — 
and for carrying, as in the elephant. There are two kinds: (1) _ 
Hard calcified, as human, and (2) horny, as in the sword-fish. ’ 
2 
a) 
— 
