408 SPOLIA ZEYLANICA. 
the south-eastern shore of the Southern Province at Miniha- 
galkanda ; while another totally distinct and older set of 
sedimentary rocks was investigated in the neighbourhood of 
Tabbowa (North-Western Province). The rocks of the first 
group form a series of little disturbed lime stones and sandy 
beds of marine origin containing molluscan shells, echinoderm 
tests, corals and foraminifera, &c., while those of the latter are 
fresh-water sandstones, grits, and pipe clays containing 
fossil plants. These beds have been much affected by earth 
movements. 
The general resemblance of some of the molluscan types to 
those of the Paris basin suggested a possible Eocene age for 
the Ceylon beds, while the entire absence of typical mesozoic 
forms, the general assemblage of genera present, and the main 
lines of the geology in general, pointed unmistakably to the 
conclusion that the limestones and associated sediments were 
not older than Eocene. In the absence of paleontological 
literature of value for comparative purposes, it was im- 
possible to determine anything more than some of the genera 
present ; thus, while it was apparent that the beds were to be 
placed somewhere in the Kainozoic (Tertiary) group, nothing 
could be said with confidence of their exact position within it : 
but the writer was inclined to regard them as Eocene. Dr. 
Davies’ researches have shown this assumption to be incorrect ; 
for he says in a letter to the writer: “I have been able to 
make more exact determinations of some of the species. The 
similar fossils described by Sowerby over eighty years ago, and 
by Archiac and Haime over sixty, are in the Natural History 
Museum, and I have been able to compare yours with them. 
Altogether a great many interesting points will be raised. 
There can be no question about the Miocene age.” 
It is interesting to note in this connection that while the 
fossil faunas of the three districts represented (Jaffna, Putta- 
lam, and Minihagalkanda) are practically contemporaneous, 
only one species in the collections is common to all, and only 
two well-defined species are common to any pair. Jt is further 
to be remarked, as Dr. Davies points out, that inasmuch as 
some of the Ceylon fossils are related to Paris Eocene forms, 
the general assemblage seems to bear out Dr. Noethling’s 
