1834.] Miscellanea. 367 



Snow is said in the memory of man to have fallen only once at N6han. 



From the localities of Ndhan, which is situated on the bare crest of a rocky hill, 

 it seems improbable that wild elephants should frequently haunt that place ; the 

 Kardah Dun lies about 6 or 800 feet lower down, it is covered with rich rank 

 vegetation ; here elephants are found. 



Hytenas are common at Simlah, the mean temperature of which is between 57° 

 and 58° ; they are found during summer, at elevations of 8 or 10,000 feet, their 

 winter habitations I know not. 



Has Mr. Fleming explained in what manner we find fossil tropical plants in 

 regions where such plants no longer thrive ? Lyell remarks, " We cannot sup- 

 pose the leaves of tree ferns to be transported by water for thousands of miles 

 without being injured." D. S. 



3.— Fall of Fish. 



On the 16th or 17rli May last, a fall of fish happened in mouza Sonare, per- 

 gunna Dhata Ekdullah, zillah Futtehpur. The zemindars of the village have 

 furnished the following particulars, which are confirmed by other accounts : About 

 noon, the wind being from the west, and a few distant clouds visible, a blast of high 

 wind, accompanied with much dust, which changed the atmosphere to a reddish 

 yellow hue, came on ; the blast appeared to extend in breadth about 400 yards, chap- 

 pers were carried off, and trees blown down. When the storm had passed over, they 

 found the ground, south of the village, to the extent of two bigahs, strewed with 

 fish, in number not less than three or four thousand. The fish were all of the Chalwa 

 species, (Clupea cultrata, Shakespear's Dictionary,) a span or less in length, and 

 from one and a half to half a seer in weight : when found, they were all dead and dry. 

 Chalwa fish are found in the tanks and rivers in the neighbourhood. The nearest 

 tank in which there is water is about half a mile south of the village. The Jumna 

 runs about three miles south of the village, the Ganges 14 miles N. by E. The 

 fish were not eaten ; it is said, that in the pan they turned into blood 1 S. 



Allahabad, June 26, 1834. 



4. — Transactions of the Batavian Society, Vol. XIV. 



[We have given an analysis of the 13th volume of this rapidly increasing collection, in vol. ii. 



page 597.] 

 The contents of the 14th volume are, " Historical Review of the Proceedings of 

 the Europeans at Japan, by G. E. Meylan, chief of the Netherland trade at 

 Japan." Also a " Treatise on Acupuncture, by Dr. Von Siebold." 



The whole of the 15th volume is a Grammar of the Java language, by the late 

 Mr. Corn. De Groet, published at Batavia by Mr. Gericke, Director of the 

 Java Institution at Soerekarta. 



5. — Protection of Tinned Sheet Iron from Rust. 

 Serjeant Dodd, late overseer of the Jumna works, constructed a buoy of tin, 

 which he painted with two coats of white lead : he then gave it a coat of hog's 

 lard, about the thickness of a coat of paint, and laid over this latter, another coat 

 of paint : each coat was allowed to dry thoroughly. The buoy was then placed in 

 the river, so as to remain continually under water all the rains, or nearly a year. 

 When taken up, the experiment was found to have succeeded completely. [Had the 

 water penetrated to the tin, a galvanic action would have caused a rapid corrosion 

 of the iron. If the iron however were carefully coated on the edges and joints, 

 the tin would form a perfect protection, without the aid of paint or grease.] A. 



