= 
8 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. [N.S., XIN, 
bed does not form part of that series and cannot therefore be 
of any geological importance. Following a suggestion of the 
late Lt.-Col. H. H. Godwin- Austin, they believe ie the most 
plausible explanation of the presence of the Clive Street 
ovsters is that they were brought from the mud banks of 
the Sundarbans by river craft and deposited on the Clive 
Street site for lime burning, before the days when Calcutta 
began to be supplied with lime a at the base 
of the Khasi Hills. According to Lt.-Col. Godwin-Austin 
such practices prevailed in Calcutta ond were actually wit- 
nessed by himself. They certainly do so still on the more 
isolated parts of the Indian and Burmese coasts and it would 
not be surprising to know that the heaps of shells were of 
considerable extent, perhaps comparable with the great heaps 
of animal bones now collected at Indian ports for export 
to foreign countries, where their utility in the preparation of 
artificial fertilizers is better appreciated than it is in this 
country. If this explanation be correct any geological argu- 
ments hased on the occurrence of the so-called oyster bank 
are worthless. 
The third and latest occurrence of oyster shells in the 
Third iene vicinity of Clive Street was brought quite 
Seiten deat recently to Boom notice . Dr. W. A. K. 
a Stake: re istie Mr. J. H. de ©. Ballardie, 
R.I.B A., who has kindly presented 
three shells to a Geological Siete and forwarded the 
following report of the engineer in charge of the two excava- 
tions where the shells were found :— 
ae 
~ te 
La | 
‘The oyster shells which were dug up from Swallow Lane 
and Allahabad Bank foundations were found within 1 foot 
6 inches below the original soil, that is, abba 5 feet 6 
inches below the adjoining hie ‘level. The soil in which 
they were found is black and o n closely examining it small 
shells about + to 2 of an ‘ich in diameter and roots of 
small herbs could be traced. It is very peculiar that where 
sandy soil is found no trace of any class of shells or herbs 
could be found.’ 
It is to be =e that the excavations had been filled 
in before the overy came to the notice cf the Geological 
Survey or it might have been possible to examine the section 
in place. It is to be observed, however, that Swallow Lane is 
ses is much the same. The presence of small shells with 
the oysters is also noteworthy and the traces of herbs may 
have been the rootlets of terrestrial plants It appears that 
this oceurrence is part of the same shell band found before 
