72 FOOTE : GEOLOGY OP MADURA AND TINNEVELLY DISTRICTS, 



At the Pamban end of the raised reef it shows a slight northerly dip, 

 and masses of dead coral apparently in situ protrude through the sand 

 below highwater mark. Reefs of living coral fringe the present coast, 

 but these I was unable to examine^ so cannot say whether the corals 

 now growing there are specifically allied to those which formed the reef 

 now upraised, but all the mollusca and Crustacea I found occurring fossil 

 in the latter belong to species now living in the surrounding sea. 



Westward of the Strait the native fishermen assured me the living 

 coral reef extends only as far as Pillai Maddam (Pillay Mudum). 

 This statement, which I had no opportunity of testing, is on the face 

 of it very reasonable, as it is a well ascertained fact that eoi'al reefs 

 never form near the embouehui'es of large rivers, as the influence of 

 the fresh water flowing into the sea and of the fine silt borne by it is most 

 unfavourable to their growth. A glance at the map will show that coral 

 reefs could not extend westward without coming directly within the in- 

 Absence of coral reef s A^ence of the flood waters of the Vaigai. The 

 on west side of Palks Bay. fishermen, several of whom I cross-examined in- 

 dependently, all agreed that no coral reefs occur further north -on the 

 coast of Palks Bay, — a fact borne out by the charts of that region, and 

 due doubtless to the numerous rivers and streams falling into it. 



All the small islands occurring along the Tinnevelly and Madura 



coast appear to consist of sand based upon coral 



coast of Tinnevelly and reefs which are largely exposed at low tide. The 



^^^' published large scale charts of Pamban Straits 



show extensive coral reefs surroundmg the five most easterly islands ; 

 Moossel, Munnauli, Pullee, Pulleevausel and Cooresuddy. The only 

 one I was able to visit, that on which stands the Tutikorin lighthouse, 

 shows no coral on the surface, which is sandy ; but the island imme- 

 diately to the north supplies large quantities of dead coral, which iire 

 used in the town as a rough building stone. Similarly, large quantities 

 of dead coral are brought over to the mainland from several of the 

 central group of tlvns (Thevoo) or islands along the Madura coast. 



It is quite evident from the occurrence of the old coral reef on Rames- 

 ( 72 ) 



