1818.] Geological Society. 459 



asbestiform substance of uncertain origin, several oval and 

 rather flattened bodies, of which some appear to be pedunculated, 

 and several remains of an undescribed shell approaching to the 

 genus teredo. 



In the stratum without flints, some traces of a solen were 

 observed. 



It is an important fact connected with the history of the beds 

 of chalk, that in the ocean which deposited these beds, the 

 whole race of animals inhabiting the ammonitae, belemnitse, and 

 most other multilocular shells, became extinct. The nautilus is 

 the only shell of this class found in the blue clay ; and this, 

 with the spirula, are, perhaps, the only multilocular shells (except 

 microscopic ones) found recent. 



In and below the grey chalk, the nautili and ammonitas are 

 found under almost every change of form ; these changes seem- 

 ing to have taken place m the era immediately preceding that in 

 which they totally disappeared. The first departure from the 

 regular form is when the ammonites assumes an oval figure ; 

 whence it passes to the hamites, scaphites, &c. In the quarries 

 near Maidstone a multilocular shell has been found of a cycloidal 

 figure, much resembling one found by Dr. Macculloch in Sky, in 

 which the termination of the inner whorl penetrates the whorl 

 which surrounds it. The turrilites has been discovered by Mr. 

 Mantell in the grey chalk of Sussex ; and this gentleman has 

 observed traces of organization in the chalk which are distinctly 

 Teferable to vegetable structure. In the grey chalk, large, 

 transversely striated, excentric nautili occur, and the alcyonium 

 and sponge appear in great numbers and variety. 



The fossils of the blue marl beneath the chalk differ from those 

 of the beds above and below it. It contains numerous ammo- 

 nitas and hamitse of peculiar forms, casts of turbinated shells, 

 which the author refers to the genus pleurostoma, and one cast 

 which he refers to solarium. Part of a large undescribed pecten 

 was also found, and some new species of nucula. It contains 

 also great numbers of small fusiform, and frequently transparent 

 belemnites similar to those found at Stutgard. 



Many fossil remains were found among the gravel covering the 

 chalk. Of these, a shell is noticed resembling that of the teredo ; 

 several flints also occurred apparently derived from animals of the 

 polype tribe, and others that appeared to owe their forms to 

 varieties of sponge. 



Mr. Frazer's notes on the Hiniala mountains, accompanying a 

 series of specimens, were read. 



The plains of llindostan are bounded on the N. E. by a 

 mountainous tract which runs from the banks of the Burram- 



f>ooter to the Indus, and, crossing that river, spreads out into a 

 es6 circumscribed and less lofty highland country, the chains of 

 which are connected with many of the chief ridges of Asia. 

 The belt of hills which thus separates llindostan from Thibet 



