1 58 Proceedings of Societies. [April, 



clay mixed with sand. From this plain, 6 miles inland, and quite insulated, rises 

 abruptly the Elephant rock. The ground around it is a complete swamp, and 

 the elephants in approaching were buried to the howdah in mud. The rock 

 is a close grained limestone of a grey colour : it is penetrated by a number 

 of caves of various dimensions : stalactites hang on the face of the rocks within and 

 from the roof : — the floor is leveled by a stalagmitic incrustation, covering loose 

 calcareous earth about 60 or 70 feet deep. In one of the caves, at an elevation 

 of 8 or 10 feet above the surrounding plain, an insulated mass of shells was found ; 

 cockles, oysters, and a larger kind of muscle, connected together by calcareous 

 matter : there was no appearance of shell strata in the rock. 



The caves contain no sculpture. The natives assert that formerly the Elephant 

 rock was surrounded by the sea. 



4. A letter from Captain Grant, of Manipur, communicated by G. Swinton, 

 Esq. describing the process of extracting gold from the sand of the Ningthee ; 

 specimens of the gold dust and sand accompanied, and some crystallized py- 

 rites. [This paper is inserted in the present number.] 



5. Some account of the Lacquered or Japanned Ware of Ava, communicated 

 by G. Swinton, Esq. on the part of Major H. Burney, Resident at Ava ; il- 

 lustrated by a complete series of specimens of the ware, as well as of the mate- 

 rials with which it is manufactured : also of the varnish and of the various 

 metallic dyes used to colour it, [This will be published in our next.] 



6. Description of a new species of Buceros of Nipiil, the Buceros Homrai, 

 by B H. Hodgson, Esq., with remarks on its anatomical structure, by Dr. J. 

 Bramley, and with an accurate drawing of the animal. 



7. Account of the Salt Mines of the Panjab, by Lieut. S. Burnes, Bombay 

 Army, enclosed in a letter from that officer, dated Hawil Pindi, 10th March, 1832, 

 with specimens of the native ore of lead, sulphur, alum, and red clay, from the 

 rano-e in which the salt is found. [Published in the present number.] 



The thanks of the Society were voted for the contributions of the evening. 

 2. — Medical and Physical Society. 

 7th April, 1832. 

 J. C. Boswell) Esq. Assistant Surgeon, at Penang, was elected a Member of 

 the Society. Tne following communications were presented to the Meeting : 



1. An Essay on Lepra Tuberculata, as it appears in Bengal, by Dr. T. A. Wise. 



2. Remarks on Variola and some Varioloid Diseases, which have recently oc- 

 curred subsequently to Vaccination, by H. S. Mercer, Esq. 



3. An additional communication on Dracunculus, with cases, by Dr. Mylne. 



4. Proces verbal of the Proceedings of the Society of Natural History of the 

 Mauritius, at the Meetings of 25th October and 23rd November, 1831, transmit- 

 ted by Monsieur Desjardins. 



5. A case of Lithontrity Instruments, with a copy of Mr. Atkinson's printed 

 letter, addressed to the Medical Board of Calcutta, describing the process of 

 Lithontrity. A letter from the Secretary of the Medical Board, states, that should 

 cases of Urinary Calculus occur in the practice of any of the medical men at the 

 Presidency, these instruments will be available for their use. 



6. At the same time, Dr. Casanova brought for inspection of the Society, a 

 complete set of instruments, made precisely after the model of those used by Mons. 

 Civiale, at Paris ; together with that author's work on Lithontrity. Mons. 

 Civiale's apparatus is peculiar in the lightness and firmness of its construction, 

 and in having a spiral spring to regulate the pressure of the borer against the stone ; 



