376 Miscellaneous. [Juuy, 
‘ astronomer; Lesuin, the chemist (not a F. R. S.)* ; of foreign members, the great 
Cuvier ; Cuaprar; the Baron de Zacu, and B, Orrani, astronomers ; Ant. 
Scarpa, the anatomist, have all bequeathed their illustrious names to science. 
Sir James MAcxinrtosH and Colonel Mark WILKS, we may in some measure lay 
claim to; the former was for eight years Recorder of Bombay, the latter is known 
for his Researches on the History of Mysore: let our readers reflect upon the 
advantages which the PRESIDENT supposes them to possess from their Indian 
training. 
< Colonel WILKs must be considered as one of those distinguished men who have 
been formed by the system of our Indian Empire. The possession of great com- 
mands, upon which the happiness and misery of considerable nations are depend- 
ent, and the intense feeling of responsibility, which is connected with the admi- 
nistration of trusts so important, is well calculated, under all circumstances, to 
call forth into action the highest powers of the human mind ; and particularly 
so, when they have been previously exercised and fortified, as in our Indian service, 
by the severe study of oriental languages, and by the successive occupation of dif- 
ferent offices, with a great diversity of duties : it is to such causes that we are to 
attribute the frequent union which we observe in this service of the greatest civil 
and military talents with the most profound acquisitions in oriental learning ; it 
is to this system that we are indebted for the production of a DuNcAN and a Mun- 
Ro, an ELpHINSTONE anda RAFFLES, a COLEBROOKE and a Matcoim, anda 
crowd of great men who have done so much honour to our Indian Government.’’ 
At the conclusion of his address, the President alludes to the precarious position 
of Captain Ross and his companions. It is more than three years since he started 
on his forlorn expediton, to retrieve the glory which he considered had been 
shorn from him by the greater success of others in tue exploration of the Polar Sea ; 
and no tidings have been yet received of:him. A vessel is now preparing, under 
the auspices of the Geographical Society, to pursue the supposed track of the 
party, and if possible relieve the anxiety of their friends and relations with 
some certain intelligence of their fate. 
3.—Discovery of a Bed of Fossil (Marine ?) Shells on the Table Land of Central 
India. 
A circumstance which must prove highly interesting to all lovers of geology, has 
lately been brought to light by the discovery of a bed of fossil shells (marine ?) 
in a good state of preservation. Accident, as usual, in discoveries of this kind, led 
to their detection. A well had been sunk some 14 years ago bya native, half 
a mile distant from Saugor, beside the road leading to Jubbulpore, and with the 
stones turned out of it, he erected a small hut for his workmen, little dreaming at 
the time he was piling up such geological treasures. A man the other day, seeing 
something unusual in a lump of the limestone of which the hut was built, dragged 
it out, and took it to his master, Mr. Fraser, who immediately recognized it as being 
a shell. So interesting a fact could not be lost sight of, and means were immedi- 
ately taken to follow up the discovery. On searching the walls of the dwelling, 
several other stones equally rich in shells were detected, and the owner of the 
* Professor Barry, Lecturer at Guy’s, fell a victim to the imprudent pursuit of his 
chemical inquiries, ae the explosion of some gases in a highly eyliletsn. Ae upon 
which he was experimenting. 
