1830.] Description of a New Genus of Fresh-water Bivalves . 63 
or a proportionate quantity of dry brushwood, to assist in heating the kiln, keeping 
up the fire, particularly during the first two or three days. 
The reed is brought to the kilns tied up with two or three bindings into bundles 
from 10 to 12 and 13 feet long each, and from 2| to 3 feet in circumference. From 
2000 to 2500 such bundles are required for a 700 maundskiln, and from 1> to 1500 
for one loaded with 500 maunds of stone; much depending, as with wood, on the 
state of the weather. 
In favorable weather, and when wood is employed as fuel, a kiln, whether of 5 or 
700 maunds, is allowed to burn four days and nights, during which time the fire 
must, of course, be constantly attended to and fed; when the reed is used, 24 hours 
more are allowed, or five days and nights ; the average rate, therefore, of expenditure 
at a 700 maunds kiln, will he about 20 bundles per hour, or one every three minutes • 
the bundles are putin whole, the root end first, and gradually pushed forward to the 
centre of the fire-place as they consume. 
The stone is considered sufficiently burnt when it glows with a white heat, and 
the interior and orifices of the small draft holes k. have become covered with a white 
incrustation, intermixed with small patches of the colour of sulphur. The native 
lime-burners appear to attach much importance to the latter sign, and I certainly 
observed it no where but in kilns that had been burnt and were cooling. The mouth 
of the fire place m. is now filled up with clods of earth or stones, but not so as to 
exclude the air altogether, at the same time the draft holes *. are carefullv stopped 
with mud, and those marked k. loosely closed with small lumps of clay, which are 
gradually removed as the kiln cools. At the end of the second or third day, the 
outer crust or coating h. is stripped off, and the stones spreadout to be slacked 
when they are all found to be equally well burnt throughout, slacking freely, throw- 
ing out a great deal of heat, and falling into a fine white powder. There was no 
appearance of vitrification to he seen at any of the kilns. 
The loss of weight in burning is about 16^ percent. 1 , 1200 maunds of stone 
being calculated to produce 1000 maunds of pure slacked lime, the cost of which on 
the spot is from 1G to 10 rupees per 100 maunds. 
. The failure of ;i kil n> owing to the stone falling it), or the front /. giving way 
is a very rare occurrence ; nor did I observe more than two or three such accidents 
throughout Chuna Ganj and Chattac. For the 'first there is no remedv hut to 
re-make the kiln, but the second is often averted by shores, or props placed at 
A. or stone is sometimes built in across the mouth of the fire-place at o. and is more 
frequently seen at Chuna Ganj, where the val is in general use; it serves to sud 
port the reeds as they are thrust forward to the fire, and regulates also the draft of 
air into the kiln, 
. T. R. 
Description o/ No v ac ul i n a, aNew Genus of Fresh-water Bivalves 
inhabiting the Ganges and its branches. By W. H. Benson, Esq. 
B. C . (S’. ’ * 
Okder, Conchifera dimt/aria ; Division, Crussipeda ; Family, Solenacear. 
IjENUs. N ovacuhna 3 . Shell subinequivalve, inequilateral, transversely elongat- 
ed ; igament external, communicating with the interior of the shell by an oblinue 
channel. Beaks prominent. Hinge-line nearly straight. Two narrow entering teeth 
undei the beak in one valve, generally three in the other. Syphonal scar verv lorn? 
Extremities of the shell gaping. Epidermis easily detached when dry, folding- over 
the edges and extremities of the shell, and connecting the hinge-margins, interior 
glossy or dull, never pearly. & ° uierior 
Animal. Mantle with the basal-edges united, forming a tube which encloses tb- 
animal, longitudinally constricted at the suture. Foot proceeding from the anterior 
ex lemity short, thick, cylindrical, and very muscular; enlarged at the extremity 
into a disk, with a convex surface, the plane of which is at right angles with the axis 
, This is a curious fact, and deserves verification, inasmuch as it is not reconciled, U 
with any probable value of the combining weights or prime equivalents (as they -ire 
t , eru ' ed ) ot tI,e bodies. Thus 12U0 maunds of limestone (if pure ) L nil 
afford 672 maunds of quick lime ; and this, if slaked or converted into livdrafe would 
gam in weight *216 inauuds, or would become 888 instead of 1000 maunds/ Possible h> ! 
above numbers may not have been accurately ascertained —Ed y 
3 Novae ula, a razor. 
