1853.] Notice on the new Mineral Resin, Sir cine. 279 



stone. They do not appear in the upper part of the Kaffir Kote 

 Range as far as we have observed, but it is probable that oolitic 

 strata again re-appear in the Sooliman Eange, as we have seen belem- 

 nites brought by natives from the hills near Dera Grhazee Khan. 

 These may probably be an extension of the Cutch strata before 

 alluded to. 



(To be Continued.) 



Supplementary Notice on the new Mineral Resin, Hircine. — By 

 Henry Piddington, Curator Museum of Economic Geology. 



My first notice of this singular and new substance will be found 

 in the Journal No. I. of 1852, p. 76. 



Being in correspondence on other matters with Dr. Dawson of 

 Rangoon, so advantageously known in Calcutta by his humane estab- 

 lishment of the Seamen's Hospital at that port, I sent him a mi- 

 nute fragment from our specimen, requesting he would be good 

 enough, if he did not know it, to make enquiries regarding it. His 

 answer just received gives so clear an account of what it is, that I think 

 it well worth putting upon record. It will be seen that my conjec- 

 ture as to its being a mineral Eesin was correct, and we have thus 

 one more added to the list of these singular and mysterious sub- 

 stances. Dr. Dawson writes as follows : 



" By the arrival, the other day of ' Fire Queen,' I was put in pos- 

 session of your kind note, dated December the 12th accompanied 

 by a specimen piece of the new resinous Mineral ' Hircine,' and the 

 paper which you had written and printed upon the subject. 



" As early as June 1851, this particular substance attracted my 

 attention, in connection with a miscellaneous collection of minerals, 

 metals, models of machines and a variety of domestic articles, I was 

 then engaged in making, for a Museum in Philadelphia. I found it 

 in the bazar in rather small bits, in the shops of some of the Bur- 

 mese druggists. This mineral I am informed, is procurable in Bur- 

 mah, in that section of the country which abounds in the celebrated 



2 s 2 



