349 
In the time of the Middle ages the medical faculty of Arabia 
imported into Europe these medicaments, with the superstitions and 
exaggerated ideas of the Orient. It attributed some marvellous 
properties to Bezoars; as that of expelling venoms; contending 
with poisons, reviving life, etc. 
In 1808 the Shah of Persia sent three of the Porcupine Bezoar 
stones as a present to Napoleon which proves the importance 
-attributed to them at the beginning of the century. 
The Porcupine Bezoar is carried, says “ Virey,” in his “ Dictionary 
of Natural History,” in the amulet to keep off infection when credit is 
given to the virtue of this remedy. In Portugal they are hired out at 
Io or 12 francs per day. In Holland they are also held in great 
-esteem, and are carried on the person in a box of gold or silver or are 
inclosed in filigree spheres of silver. 
The specimen I am showing you to-day is 8 inches by 73 in 
-circumference, of a dark green olive colour, and weighs 8} oz. with 
the true Bezoar odour. 
La Grande Encyclopédié—EDWIN BourGoOIN. 
Dictionnaire d’ Histoire Naturelle—VIREY. 
English Dictionary.—J. MURRAY. 
APPENDIX I], 
Abstract of paper on“ The Hill and Ruins of Sigari, Ceylon.” 
By CAPTAIN A. C. BURMESTER. 
(Read January 13th, 1897.) 
The Northern and Eastern parts of Ceylon are at present in great 
ipart covered with jungle and inhabited by a small and scattered 
population, a great contrast to the condition of the same 1,000 years 
ago when the greater portion of it was intersected by a complicated 
system of tanks and irrigation works and dotted with large wealthy 
cities. The change since then has been generally ascribed to con- 
