three, and perhaps four years since they were collected. I proceed now to set down such remarks as occur to me.

There must be in all countries a season at which lichens and mosses, like all other vegetable productions, possess the largest quantities of colouring matter. At what time this occurs for Indian lichens, we at present know not: for those of the Himalayas' it is probably the autumn, and in other parts the driest seasons.

Judging from the under surfaces, some of these which I have tested are tree, and others rock-lichens; but there must be great numbers more of both kinds in those extensive regions. The rock lichens of cold countries are usually the best, as far as our knowledge yet goes.

We know nothing hitherto of the forest-mosses and lichens of the vast jungles of India, from Assam to Goandwana, and from the Terai of Nepaul to the Sunderbunds, the forests of the Southern Ghats, and those of Ceylon, Arracan, and Tenasserim! It is true that it is, as yet, supposed that the lichens of hot and humid climates are little productive of colouring matters; but I know not on what this notion is founded. There would seem to be as many probabilities the other way.

And when all the lichens, above alluded to, are examined, we have other vast fields and these of great promise. I mean the great volcanic plateau of Central India, from the basaltic rocks of Bundlecund to the Toombuddra; the points where, as at Vizagapatam and Cape Comorin, the granite meets the sea; those where, as in some parts of Malabar, the trap rocks from the coast; and the whole of the range of coast and islands, of every formation, which form the eastern shores of the Bay. We may in fact, from the infinitely varied condition of climate, rock, and soil, which I can only hint at here, except every possible variety of moss and lichen; and that many of these must be new and valuable.

Provided a lichen yields a strong and bright colour, we may always hope that it may be turned to account. It will be noted, that all these, which I have now examined, give colours which lie on the yellow side of the red, and not on the blue side of it, which would produce the violets. I mention this, because there seems a notion abroad, that only those which yield at once the violet-reds to the ammoniacal test are of any value. In the instructions for Capt. Beechey, on his voyage to the Straits of Magellan, this is indeed pretty nearly said in direct words. Now we know that, from Lapland to the Mediteranean, the rocks of Europe have been pretty nearly stripped of their lichens, by agents sent out from the great silk and cotton-printing establishments, for much of the work of which the rich Canary lichens are unsuitable, and far too dear. We may

hope to find some equal to, or indentical with these, but we may be well content with the goodly supply of the secondary sorts, with our great extent of territory must insure us when they are known. In no trade is there so much competition and so many secrets as in the dying and printing of silks and cottons; and I take it that none of the published notices give any distinct idea of any thing, as to the value and kinds of lichens, Leyond what is already well known in the business: the secrets are far too valuable to be given away. The colouring principle moreover is not the only part of the lichens to be turned to account, guminy matter, extracted from them by Lord Dundonald's process, supplies the place of the costly gums in many printing processes.

There is an omission in all the printed notices which I have yet seen, which in many cases might mislead persons testing lichens. An important process-that of crushing or even pounding the moss or lichen to powder-is wholly omitted ? A chemist would of course think of this; and Hellot, the inventor of the ammoniacal test, from whose writings all have subsequently copied, mentions it; but the usual directions lead people to suppose that the lichen is merely to be broken to pieces and infused, which may often be insufficient to develope the colour properly, and thus lead to a wrong conclusion.

The single lichen Rocella has been a mine of wealth to the Canaries and Cape de Verd islands. We have at least a fair chance that India may produce one, if not more, of these productions of a valuable kind, but nothing can be properly ascertained on the subject unless a considerable quantity-say a maund or two of each promising sort-be sent home. In the hands of European dyers and chemists, with their extensive resources, great experience, and ample leisure, it is quite possible that results may be obtained, which, our petty means, and want of experience and leisure, are quite unequal to develope. I have, for example, strong reason to believe that some of these lichens contain the Erythrine,' or violet-red principle of Heeren and Nees Von Esenbeck; but the research is one of those in speculative chemistry, which I have neither means nor time to undertake. I shall nevertheless be happy at all times to contribute my mite of aid, whenever it can be useful in the search for good dying lichens.

tal Found 703.

On the Topes of Darounta, and Caves of Bahrabad.-BY THE LATE LIEUT. PIGOU, (Engineers.)

At a distance of six miles from Jullalabad in an easterly direction is situated the village of Darounta, at the foot of the Koh-i-Surrukh on the right bank of the Jullalabad river; scattered through the village, and in its environs are eleven topes, of various sizes, but all much smaller than the tope of Manikyala: on some of these are evidences of their having once borne external ornaments similar to those found on that tope; they are built of stone and slate, cemented with mortar,and in some cases merely with mud; all of them possess a chamber from 4 to 8 feet square, and some of them have in addition a shaft running down the centre; at the time of my visiting them, six of the largest had already been opened by Messrs. Masson and Honigberger; in opening the others, the method pursued was, to cut, as it were, a slice from the lip to the bottom, reaching to the centre by this meams both the centrical shaft, and the chamber at the bottom were laid open; out of the four thus opened, one was empty, the contents of the other three were as follows:

Box No. 1, was taken from the Tope-i-kutchera; it was found in a chamber about six feet below the level of the ground; it was contained in a rough case made of four slates (about a foot square) stuck together with clay; these fell aside on being touched. Within the box were the three coins, and a peice of rock crystal; the coins belong (2) to Ermæus III. (?) and one to Azos,

Box No. 2, was found in the Tope-i-fasl, it contained a small gold box, in which were placed several pearls, with holes drilled through the centre, and some small peices of what appeared to be bone; the gold box with its contents has been stolen from me.

Box No. 3, was found in the Tope-i-Hosen-amanat, covered in a manner similar to Box No. 1, it contained a mixture of light red earth, and grey ashes, and three coins, all of Azos.

There can be little doubt but that these topes were built in memory of the illustrious dead; without reasoning from analogy founded on the statements of a late traveller in the crimea, regarding the sepulchral tumuli discovered in the vicinity of the ancient Pantica peum, the metropolis of the famous Mithridates Entapor, the evidence furnished by the relics found in the topes, would irresistibly lead to such a conclusion; with regard to the æra when these topes were constructed, it is more diffi