Chap. II. THEIR WIDE DISTEIBUTION. 127 



seems to have best retained its original size 

 and appearance. Notwithstanding some loss 

 from disintegration, five of the largest of these 

 castings (after having been well sun-dried) 

 weighed each on an average 89*5 grammes, 



Fig. 4. 



A casting from the Nilgiri Mountains in South India ; of 

 natural size, engraved from a photograph. 



or above 3 oz. ; and the largest weighed 

 123*14 grammes, or 4^ oz., — that is above a 

 quarter of a pound ! The largest convolutions 

 were rather more than one inch in diameter ; 

 but it is probable that they had subsided a little 



