1887.] M. Nyiiyaratna — On the Authorship of the MrichrhhaJcatiJcd. 193 



trusts that some one will take up the enquiry, since it concerns the date 

 of the accession of the last Hindu king of Bengal. 



In a supplement to the paper the author advances further reasons 

 for concluding that the date of the commencement of the era given by 

 Abul Fuzl is correct, and finally he suggests that the translation of a 

 Sanskrit inscription from Buddha Gya given by Dr- Mitra in his second 

 paper on the Sena Rajas of Bengal might bear a slightly different inter- 

 pretation, which would make it refer to the 74th year of the reign of 

 Lakshmana Sena, instead of 74 years after the expiration of his reign, 

 and from which it would follow that the era originated with that king. 



The paper will be published in the Journal, Part I. 



5. The sacred and ornamental characters of Tibet. — By Babu Sarat 

 Chandra Das, C. I. E. 



(Abstract.) 



After a brief allusion to the introduction of the art of writing into 

 Tibet, the writer gives a short account of the steps taken to establish 

 Buddhist institutions in the country consequent on Buddhism being 

 made the State religion, and of the subsequent necessity for increasing 

 the written characters of the language, the letters of the alphabet 

 originally designed being found insufficient for the translation of the 

 Buddhist sacred scriptures and Sanskrit grammars and dictionaries into 

 Tibetan. The account is followed by a description of the principal 

 changes that the written language has undergone, accompanied with 

 drawings of the various kinds of characters and the purposes for which 

 they are used. 



The paper will be published in the Journal, Part I. 



6. On the Authorship of the Mrichchhakatikd. — By Pandit Mahes- 



CHANDRA NYAYARATNA, C. I. E. 



A paper was read by Babu Asutosh Mukerji, M. A., F. R. A., 

 F. R. S. E., at a meeting of this Society on the 6th April last, in which he 

 attempted to prove that king S'lidraka, the reputed author of the Mri- 

 chchhalcatikd was not its real author. Commenting on this paper Dr. 

 Hoernle referred to a new theory about the authorship of the play 

 advanced by Professor Pischel in the Introduction to his edition of 

 Bring drla-tilaha. This theory ascribes the authorship to the celebrated 

 Dandin, the author of Dasalcimidra-charita and Kdvyadarsa. 



I purpose to briefly examine the theories of Babu Asutosh Mukerji 

 and Professor Pischel. 



The chief ground on which Babu Asutosh Mukerji bases his 

 theory is, that in the introduction of the piny, a stanza occurs in which 



