Southern India, the origin of the Kunher, S^-c. 527 



the whole length of the Kiirnool territory, passes below the 

 Zurairoo valley to the east of Gooty, where it is connected 

 with the Cucklapah chains, which, curving easterly, terminate 

 near the coast in the Naggery ranges. 



These ranges consist principally of the diamond-sandstone 

 and limestone, and comprise within their area the diamond 

 mines of Condapetta, Chinnoor, OvalumpuUy, Munimudgoo, 

 Banganpilly, Ramulacota, and others of less note. The fossil 

 deposit rests on this sandstone conglomerate, which at no 

 great distance is seen reposing on granite, with a dip of 10° 

 to the south of east. 



A little to the east of this, the diamond limestone intervenes 

 between the granite and sandstone, underlying the latter in 

 conformable dip and stratification. 



A spring rising from the foot of a mound of conglomerate, 

 composed of fragments of the sandstone rocks cemented by 

 kunker, marks the site of the fossil bed, which lies in a slight 

 depression above this mound, and considerably out of the 

 reach of the spring in its present state. It is only a few yards 

 in extent, and has evidently been deposited by the s})ring un- 

 der former conditions, to which I shall allude presently. The 

 imbedding matter is also a kunker, but one of a much harder, 

 compact, and siliceous nature than that at present seen around 

 the margin of the spring and below the mud at the bottom. 

 Portions of it are sometimes so siliceous as to give fire with 

 steel and scratch glass; other portions of the rock contain 

 more lime, are less compact, and effervesce freely with acids. 

 The colour is a light brownish-gray ; fracture varying from 

 flat-conchoidal to earthy. 



The shells imbedded are freshwater, principally Melania, 

 with a few small Planorbes, and are all of existing genera. 

 The number of the former is so proportionally great, as to 

 excite surprise in persons who have not studied the segrega- 

 rious habits of the inhabitants of freshwater and terrestrial 

 shells. Besides the shells there are impressions and casts of 

 the stems of grasses, reeds, &c. perfectly fossilized by carbo- 

 nate of lime. 



The shells afford instructive examples of the various stages 

 of fossilization. Some of their coats have been completely 

 converted into sparry carbonate of lime; others have been 

 filled with the imbedding paste, which, when the shell is 

 broken off, exhibit a cast with a highly polished exterior. 

 Others again are linetl with drusy crystals of quartz; in some, 

 this siliceous crystallization is just beginning to roughen the 

 surface of the interior, and is hardly perceptible without the 

 aid of a lens ; thus exhibiting interesting examples of the pro- 



