302 Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. [June, 



They are identical in appearance with some of Dr. Gerard's shells from Spitf, 

 (spirifer striates of Sowerby, a shell of the mountain limestone group.) 



A fine specimen of the Kyuk-Phyoo lignite half-silicified and other 

 minerals were presented in the name of Lieut. W. Foley. 



A flying fish preserved in spirits, presented by J. A. Williams, Esq. 



The saw of a saw -fish, 5 feet long, presented by Capt. R. Lloyd, Mar. 

 Surv. 



Read a letter from Serjeant Edmund Dean, of the Sappers and Miners, 

 forwarding some selected specimens of the fossil bones discovered and col- 

 lected by himself in blasting the rocks of the Jumna river, for inspection 

 and examination. 



Among the present specimens are some not found in the collections received 

 from Captain Smith and Lieut. Burt, from the same localities ; of these the most 

 interesting are, two teeth of the fossil hippopotamus, and a bone resembling the 

 cervical vertebra of a camelopardalis, as compared with one in possession of Dr. 

 J. T. Pearson. 



[This paper shall appear as soon as possible.] 



Read extracts of a letter from Dr. Malcolmson, Secretary Medical Board, 

 Madras, forwarding some botanical specimens collected by him at Malacca, 

 and a report upon them, by Dr. N. Wallich, Superintendant Botanical 

 Garden. 



Having seen the interest excited by Lieut. Newbold's fern from Mount Ophir, 

 Dr. M. obligingly sent his collection in hopes that some prize might reward the 

 labour of their examination. Dr. Wallich, however, finds nothing in the list 

 which is not already well known. No. 9, only, a Bossia, is probably new and an 

 interesting plant. 



Dr. Malcolmson's letter contains the following account of fossil shells 

 discovered in the Hyderabad country. 



Fossil Shells in Hyderabad. 



" In the Neermal hills lying north of the Godaveri river on the road from Hy- 

 derabad to N&gpur, many very perfect fossil shells, mostly bivalves, and evidently 

 marine, have been found imbedded in a volcanic rock ; also the head and vertebrae of 

 a fish. The formations rest almost every where on granite, and have the usual 

 characters of this class of hills. The most interesting facts however, are the rais- 

 ing of some portions of the blue limestone, passing into clay-slate, by the basalt, 

 and in one place the bursting through of the latter with very remarkable dis- 

 tinctness through the limestone, which is singularly altered, its silicious consti- 

 tuents being converted into gloss-slag, and a cinder-like rock. There is a series 

 of hot springs holding lime in solution, which is deposited in rocks on the passing 

 off of the carbonic acid which gives the river a sour taste. The contrast between 

 the ancient and recent fossils is very striking. The hills I find belong to the 

 Sehsa range, extending S. E. to N. W. several hundred miles. In the same oc- 

 curs the Lunar lake, (40 miles from Jaulnah,) which I examined some years ago. 

 It is a vast crater nearly 500 feet deep, and four or five miles round on the upper 

 margin. Its waters are green and bitter, supersaturated with alkaline carbonate, 

 and containing silex in solution as well as some iron. The mud is black and 

 abounds with sulphuretted hydrogen, but the water is pure and without smell. 

 The rocks are volcanic, and springs of pure water rise out of the salt mud or 



