Geological Society. 509 



GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



y^pril 18, 1828. — A paper was read On a collection of Vegetable and 

 jinimal Remains, and Rocks, from the Burmese Country, presented to 

 the Geological Society by J. Crawfurd, Esq.: by the Rev. W. Buck- 

 land, D.D., V.P.G.S., F.R.S., &c. 



Mr. Crawfurd collected these specimens during his voyage up the Ira- 

 wadi in a steam-boat, on an embassy to Ava, in the latter part of the year 

 1826. The authour considers them to be of high importance, as afford- 

 ing an answer to the curious, and till now undecided question, whether 

 there be, or be not, in the southern regions of Asia, any remains of fossil 

 quadrupeds analogous to those which are found so widely dispersed in the 

 diluvium of northern Asia, and of Europe and America. 



The evidence which Mr. Crawfurd has imported, consists of several 

 chests full of fossil wood and fossil bones, and of specimens of the strata 

 that are fonnd along the course of the Irawadi, from Prome up to Ava, 

 being a distance of nearly 500 miles. The greater part of the fossil 

 wood is beautifully silicified ; other specimens of it are calcareous ; they 

 are mostly portions of large trees, both monocotyledonous and dicotyb- 

 donous, and were found along the whole valley of the Irawadi from Ava 

 to Prome. The bones were all collected from a small district near some 

 wells of petroleum, about half way between these towns, and on the left 

 bank of the river. From Mr. Cliffs examination, it appears, that al- 

 though we have among them no remains of fossil elephants, we have the 

 same fossil Pachydcrmata that are found associated with elephants in Eu- 

 rope, namely. Rhinoceros, Hippopotamus, Mastodon, and Hog. We have 

 also two or three species of Ruminantia resembling the Ox, Antelope, and 

 Deer, with the addition of the Gavial and Alligator, and two fresh- water 

 tortoises, namely, Trionyx and Emys. 



The teeth of the Mastodon belong to two unknown species of that ge- 

 nus, both of them approaching in size to the largest elephant. Mr. Clift 

 has designated them by the names of Mastodon latidens and M. elephan- 

 toides. The teeth are from animals of all ages ; and there are many 

 fragments of ivory, derived probably also from the Mastodon. 



The remains of the Mastodon are by far the most abundant in this col- 

 lection, and amount to about 150 fragments. 



Of the Rhinoceros there are about 10 fragrments. 



