276 Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. [Sept. 



to a great extent, also their hinder side, and the toes internally are 

 blackish. Below, pale brownish white, somewhat purer on chin 

 and throat, and all over finely speckled and punctated with dark. 



The specimens examined appear to be quite full grown ; the 

 largest measures only f of an inch. The structure and coloration 

 are peculiar, and distinguish the present species from any as yet 

 known from the Philippines, Ceylon, or South India. 



II. — On the Method of assaying silver as conducted in the Indian Mint. — 

 By Dr. H. E. Busteed, Oefg. Assay Master. (Abstract.) 



The method of assaying Silver, as now in use in H. M.'s Indian 

 Mints is one peculiar to them ; it was introduced into the Calcutta 

 Mint about the year 1850, and thence extended in course of time 

 to those of Bombay and Madras. 



It has been favorably reported on and described more or less in 

 detail as an official duty by various assay officers, to local Mint 

 authorities in India, but beyond this, it would appear, that no at- 

 tempt has been made towards giving publicity to the practical 

 working of the process, or to making generally known the labora- 

 tory details of this method of assay. 



It has been suggested to the writer that some such attempt now 

 would be not only interesting but useful, as after 20 years' experience 

 of it, the assay offices in the Indian Mint must be in a position to 

 assign its true value to a method which has been used for the 

 assay of an immense importation and coinage of silver bullion. 

 To render it more generally intelligible, and to show wherein the 

 process about to be explained contrasted with those in more general 

 use, Dr. Busteed very briefly adverted to the principles on which those 

 processes depend for their results, omitting details and technicali- 

 ties. In modern acceptance, the principal duty of an assay er is to 

 ascertain the proportion of the precious metals present in any 

 sample of mixed metal submitted to him for examination, so that 

 from the result of his investigation, the proper value may be as- 

 signed by calculation to the mass which the sample is supposed to 

 represent. 



This the assayer effects by separation of the precious metals from 

 the coarser ones. The most ancient means of effecting this was, by 



