Nov. 1846.] Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. xcix 



some Mineralogists ; and the third I should suppose to be a serpentine. These 

 little specimens are too small and neat to spoil by chipping for further examination, 

 but they serve to show the ornamental uses to which these minerals are so ex- 

 tensively applied in the east. 



We received some time ago from Messrs. Fowle and Lonsdale of Moulmein a box 

 containing upwards of thirty specimens of Ores from the Antimony Mines* near 

 that place, with a request that they might be examined, their desire being of course 

 to ascertain carefully and certainly if they contained any, and what, proportion of 

 the precious metals. One of the Ores sent up was indeed a " supposed Antimonial 

 silver." 



Now, in complicated ores of this description, this sort of examination requires great 

 care, time, and often repeated analysis, before a negative can safely be pronoun- 

 ced from a small specimen, to assure the miner or smelter who works on a large scale 

 that nothing of value exists in his ores, and these references have thus occupied a 

 very considerable portion of time and labour, and as is often the case in such inves- 

 tigations, have proved wholly unfruitful. Antimony, Iron, Arsenic and Sulphur with 

 Bismuth, and in one instance a trace of Molybdena being all which can be discover- 

 ed in them. The results have been sent to Messrs. Brightman, but are not worth 

 detailing or printing. 



I have suggested however to these gentlemen that they may find it well worth 

 their while to sink a shaft " for a change of ores." As I now understand their ope- 

 rations they seem to be occupied with what one might call mere surface-digging rather 

 than mining, and the pronouncing, as we must now do, that these ores contain nothing 

 of value, is not to be understood as saying that the locality contains nothing, but 

 merely that the ores at the surface have not been found valuable ; which in Corn- 

 wall, and I think in Germany, is often thought to be a favourable indication. 



We have received from Mr. Williams, theHon'ble Company's Geologist, a collec- 

 tion of the Sandstone and Coal of the Burdwan district, collected by him in his sur- 

 vey, of which he has sent corresponding series for the Museum of the Hon'ble Com- 

 pany and for the National Museum of Economic Geology in London. 



The proceedings of tlie evening were closed by a demonstration by the 

 Curator of the Museum of Zoology, of numerous valuable additions to 

 the Museum, acquired during the previous month. 



Report of the Society's Zoological Curator for the Meeting held 

 November 4th, 184G. 



W. B. O'-Shaugnessy, Esq,., Senior Secretary of the Asiatic Society. 

 Sir, — Agreeably to your request, I resume the monthly publication of my reports 

 of donations to the Zoological department of the Society's Museum, which the 

 pressure of occupation and the impossibility of continuing regularly to treat the 



* From an Estate belonging to Messrs. Brightman and Co. 



