202 
Ilippuritic Lhnesione from Afghanistan. 
[Aug. 
ly that its character is of the 8th century. It may be two or three centu¬ 
ries later, but certainly not older. The first three lines of B are exact 
counterparts of A, letter for letter, but the character is much older, proba¬ 
bly of the 5th century. It is a corrupted form of the Gupta type. I 
cannot read the lower three lines just now.’ ” 
Mr. W. T. Blantoed exhibited a specimen of Hippuritic limestone 
collected by Dr. Oldham of the 1st Ghurka Regiment on the route from 
Kandahar to the Punjab by the Tal-Chotiali route. The specimen was 
obtained at a place called Sialigai, evidently the Mt. Siajgai of Lieut. 
Temple’s map, about 70 miles E. N. E. of Quetta. The specimen 
exhibited shews easts of the interior of two Ilippurites and portions of the 
shell of others. 
The interest attaching to the discovery is considerable. Ilippurites 
are characteristic of the cretaceous epoch, and especially of the period of 
the lower chalk (Turonian) and the Hippuritic limestone, so called on ac¬ 
count of the prevalence of this very remarkable bivalve, is largely developed 
in Southern Europe and South western Asia. This rock covers a large 
area in Persia and is found for some distance east of Karman. A very 
small outcrop, probably referable to this formation, has been found in Sind 
and traces appear to occur in Tibet, north of the Himalayas. The dis¬ 
covery of the same rock in South-eastern Afghanistan serves somewhat 
to connect these isolated outliers. The rock from Siahgai is very similar 
to some of the Hippuritic limestone found in Persia. 
The following papers were read :— 
1. The Manages of Mats and Alice in the MaJchan during the Harvest of 
1878-79.— Mg the Rev. S. B. Faiebank. 
(Abstract.) 
In this paper the author gives an account of the ravages committed 
by rats at the end of 1878 in the Parner, Shrigonde and Karzat taluqs and 
part of the Nagar taluq in the Ahmednaggar collectorate, and also in some 
taluqs in the Poona, Sliolapur and Kaladgi collectorates and adjoining 
native states. These ravages were attributed by the people to the Jerboa 
rat (Gerhillus Indicus or G. longipes), called by the natives pandhard 
undir or the white rat. It was new to the author to hear of this rat being 
a serious nuisance, as such ravages have generally been committed by the 
Metad rats, but there is no doubt that the Gerbilles have been the most 
numerous and so most destructive. They thrive just as well during the 
