58 MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. 



found to be a mere shell full of small brown shavings like shred 

 tobacco. 



The part of the island which produces these stones in greatest 

 abundance seems to be, by a coincidence of native reports, the dis- 

 trict about the upper waters of theEalufigar (Batang Kayan). The 

 story is, that the head waters of this river are cut off from its lower 

 course by an extensive tract of hills beneath which the river disap- 

 pears, a report by no means unlikely if the country be, as is pro- 

 bable, limestone. The people of the district have no com munica- 

 tion with the lower course of the river, and are thus without any 

 supply of salt. In lieu of this necessity they make use of the 

 waters of certain springs, which must be saline mineral springs, 

 and which the Kayans call " Sungan." These springs are also fre- 

 quented by troops of the red monkeys before mentioned, and the 

 Bezoars are most constantly found in the stomachs of these animals, 

 through their drinking the saline Water. The hunters lie in wait 

 about such springs, and, so runs the report, on the animals coming 

 down to drink, they are able to guess with tolerable certainty from 

 external signs which of the monkeys will afford the Gruliga, and 

 they forthwith shoot such with their sumpitans. I have this 

 account, curious in more ways than one, from several quite inde- 

 pendent sources. 



In concluding these brief notes, I may remark that the wide- 

 spread idea of the medicinal virtue of these concretions would lead 

 us to suppose that there is some foundation for their reputation. 



A. Habt Everett. 



On the Name "Sumatra.' 



In a volume recently added to the Society's Library — " Notes 

 " on the Malay Archipelago and Malacca, compiled from Chinese 

 " Sources "-—Mr. W. P. Gtboeneveldt says (p. 82) : " The three 

 " preceding articles beginning on p. 85 give the name of Sumatra 

 " to the northern part of the island which is now entirely called by 

 " this name. In this case the name is certainly taken from the 



