147 



or elephant, another the head of a boar unknown, and 

 one belonging, I think, to a "rongeiir;" but what 

 induces me particularly to wish them at Calcutta, is, that 

 there is a horn in its matrix, which, connected as these 

 fossils must be with those of the Nerbudda, might belong 

 to that species of bos mentioned in your Journal ; it is 

 decidedly not a buffalo. I was so anxious to reach 

 Bombay that I could not possibly go to Perim myself. 

 I did, however, manage to send a boat over, and I re- 

 ceived yesterday forty-one pieces of fossil bones, the 

 greater part belonging to the " Mastodon latidens,''' of 

 which the teeth, in a perfect state, did not leave any 

 doubt; some of the bones are of immense size — one frac- 

 tured piece of the tusk measuring from the centre 5^, 

 which gives 10^ inches diameter, or 34 inches in circum- 

 ference ; some of them are in the same hard matrix you 

 will see imbedding the horn, some evidently rolled by 

 the sea. There are some curious teeth among the frag- 

 ments I possess, and two triangular-shaped pieces similar 

 to the horn of a rhinoceros ; the teeth are, however, too 

 large to belong to that animal. 1 may perhaps send the 

 most curious specimens round to you ; but I am at this 

 moment too much pleased with my discoveiy to part 

 with them. It appears that the island abounds with the 

 fossils, and it is a clear proof that the Nerbudda must 

 have found only lately its Avay to the Cambay Gulf, or 

 that some revolution must have separated the little 

 island fi'om Kattiawiir. Having no opportunity to leave 

 this for either Persia or the Cape, I may still perhaps be 

 able to go to Perim and Gogo to trace the fossils on the 

 mainland of the peninsula." 



I may remark, that the conglomerates of the valley ot 

 the Nei'budda, Avhich were so thoroughly examined by 

 Spilsbury, and in which remains of Klephas, llipjiopotu- 

 miis, F^(piuH, and Hos have been discovered, are nov,' 



