1830.]] Proceedings of Societies. 167 
\ ♦ 
which is said to he more applicable to writing, is first to remove the traces of the 
ink by means of spirit of turpentine; a little vinegar is then applied with a hair 
pencil, after which the stone is wiped with a sponge moistened with water. This 
stone will now bear retouching. — Gill’s Tech. Rep. ( Bull. Sc. d’Encour.) 
XII . — Proceedings of Societies. 
1. Asiatic Society. 
Wednesday , May bth. 
The President in the chair. 
The Right Rev. the Lord Bishop of the Diocese, Mr. Lushington, and Major 
Burney, were admitted members. 
A letter was read from the secretary to the Van Dieinan’s Land Society, pro- 
posing to correspond with the Asiatic Society. 
The following donations were presented— viz. two cabinets of Minerals, pur- 
chased at Benares, by Sir Charles Grey; also specimens obtained from Messrs. 
Gerard and Royle, or collected by himself on his visit to the upper provinces. 
Fossil Minerals from the Himalaya, presented by Mr. Gerard, through Sir C. 
Metcalfe. 
Mineral specimens, and some small figures of Bauddha worship, presented by 
Captain Mackenzie. 
A catalogue of the maps, plans, &c. in the collection of his late Majesty, by the 
trustees of the British Museum. 
The 2dpart of the Philosophical Transactions for 182S, and the 1st part for 1830, 
by the Royal Society. 
The 3d part of the 7th vol. of their Transactions, by the Horticultural Society. 
The Journal Asiatique, by the Asiatic Society of Paris. 
The 1st volume of the Ramayana, by the Editor, Professor Schlegel. 
Pentopotamia Indica, by the author, Mr. Lessen. 
The 4th and 5th volumes of the History of the Turks, by the author, Von Ham- 
mer ; also letters on the Library at Turin, and observations on the Byzantine His- 
torians. 
History of London, by the author, Mr. Norton. 
The Mrichchakati, in the Original Sanscrit; Voet’s Commentary on the Pan- 
dects ; and Report on the External Commerce of Bengal, by Mr. Wilson. 
Letters were read from Professor Rafn, presenting Scripta Historica lslandorum, 
The Krakuraal, a Poem, and various Tracts, &c. 
The following papers were then read : 
Extracts from Mr. Gerard’s letters to Sir C. Metcalfe, relating to the Fossils pre- 
sented by him. 
A letter from Mr. Prinsep, forwarding, by desire of Government, Mr, J.Prinsep’s 
Report on the Population of Benares. 
Extracts from a letter from Major Burney to Mr. Swinton, giving an account of 
Dr. Richardson’s visit to Laos. 
A paper on Boring in the vicinity of Calcutta, by Dr. Strong. 
Observations on Ancient Coins found in India, by Mr. Wilson. 
XIII . — Notices of Books. 
The first number of General Hardwicke’s Illustrations of Indian Zoology 
has reached this country, and its execution fully answers the expectations of those 
who were acquainted with the. magnificent collection of drawings and preserved 
specimens possessed by that zealous cultivator of Indian Zoology. The design 
of the work cannot be better explained than in the following extract from the 
prospectus. 
“The Natural History of India, which had for a long time been almost 
entirely neglected, has again, of late years, awakened some share of that attention 
