472 Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. [Oct. 



VII. — Proceedings of the Asiatic Society — Physical Class. 



Wednesday Evening, 3rd October, 1832. 

 Sir Edward Ryan, President, in the Chair. 

 The proceedings of last Meeting were read and adopted. 



Library, 

 The following books were presented : 

 " Fragmens de Geologie et de Climatologie Asiatiques, par A. De Hum- 

 boldt," in 2 volumes. From the Author. 

 " An English Index of Indian Plants, by H. Piddington, Esq. Foreign Sec. 

 » Agricultural Society, Calcutta, 1832." From the Author. 



This very useful compendium has been drawn up with great industry from all 

 the available sources of information. The native synonymes include many 

 corruptions from the right reading, which have found their way into Botanical 

 works : it might perhaps have been an improvement that the correct word should 

 have been distinguished from the rest, and spelt according to some constant 

 system of orthography. 



Museum. 



The Secretary announced the receipt of the fossil shells of the Paris 

 basin, of the tertiary formations of Italy and Sicily, as well as from Dia- 

 blerets in Switzerland, and specimens of the bone brescia of Nice, alluded 

 to at the last Meeting, in a letter from Dr. Turnbull Christie, of Madras. 



The shells are in the highest preservation, and will form a most useful series 

 for reference on all occasions. A catalogue will be published in the Society's 

 Journal, that members at a distance may be aware what fossil shells are in our 

 possession. 



A letter was read from Mr. James Calder, Vice-President, presenting in 

 the name of C. Telfair, Esq. President of the Mauritius Natural History 

 Society, the following geological specimens and minerals : 



1. Mammellated black oxide of Mangaiiese, found in a state of great purit\' and 



in vast quantities, in the interior of Madagascar. 



2. Capilliform Obsidian, (Actynolite ?) from Bourbon. After the last eruption of 

 the volcano in that island, the country for miles round was found to be covered 

 with crystals of green actynolite, like a hoar-frost, which from its appearance 

 received the name of Neptune's hair. 



3. Petrified wood and fossil shells, from Basse's Straits and New Holland. 



Unfortunately the labels on these are lost, which is the more to be regretted 

 as the shells and their matrix resemble very closely those from the Himalaya ■ 

 especially two, which are identical with Nos. 22 and 25 (Productaand Spirifer ?) 

 of Mr. Everest's Plate, in the Trans. Phys. CI. 2nd Part. 



4. Asbestus ; veins in serpentine — locality not specified. 



A letter was read from Dr. G. G. Spilsbury, dated Jabalpiir, 7th Sep- 

 tember, presenting three specimens of the fossil bones recently discovered 

 in that neighbourhood. 



The Secretary read a note upon the subject, which appears in the present 

 number. 



