﻿FOSSIL-WOOD 
  GROUP. 
  59 
  

  

  contributed 
  not 
  only 
  a 
  coarser 
  pebbly 
  detritus 
  but 
  the 
  precise 
  elements, 
  

   silicious, 
  argillaceous 
  and 
  ferruginous, 
  requisite 
  for 
  the 
  production 
  of 
  

   typical 
  laterite; 
  and 
  the 
  above 
  described 
  laterite 
  bank 
  is 
  simply 
  the 
  

   littoral 
  accumulation 
  of 
  debris 
  brought 
  down 
  under 
  ordinary 
  condi- 
  

   tions 
  of 
  denudation, 
  and 
  identical 
  in 
  its 
  age 
  and 
  mode 
  of 
  accumulation 
  

   with 
  the 
  loose 
  sandy 
  deposits 
  on 
  the 
  opposite 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  valley. 
  The 
  

   accumulation 
  and 
  transportation 
  of 
  the 
  coarse 
  materials 
  forming 
  this 
  

   laterite 
  bank 
  naturally 
  would 
  be 
  more 
  suddenly 
  arrested 
  than 
  in 
  the 
  case 
  

   of 
  fine 
  deposits 
  ; 
  hence 
  the 
  abrupt 
  scarped 
  outline 
  of 
  the 
  laterite 
  is, 
  in 
  

   my 
  opinion, 
  to 
  a 
  great 
  extent 
  an 
  original 
  feature 
  of 
  deposition, 
  only 
  to 
  a 
  

   very 
  partial 
  extent 
  modified 
  by 
  subsequent 
  denudation 
  ; 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  probable 
  

   that 
  this 
  laterite 
  bank 
  at 
  no 
  period 
  extended 
  much 
  beyond 
  the 
  general 
  

   line 
  of 
  its 
  present 
  boundary, 
  no 
  outliers, 
  or 
  other 
  indications 
  of 
  its 
  

   former 
  extension, 
  being 
  anywhere 
  seen 
  West 
  of 
  the 
  Sittoung. 
  

  

  Some 
  thirteen 
  miles 
  North 
  of 
  Shuay-gheen 
  on 
  the 
  line 
  of 
  telegraph 
  

   road 
  is 
  a 
  small 
  bat-cave 
  in 
  the 
  laterite, 
  which 
  has 
  the 
  appearance 
  of 
  having 
  

   originated 
  naturally, 
  probably 
  through 
  the 
  removal, 
  by 
  ordinary 
  drainage, 
  

   of 
  some 
  loose 
  and 
  incoherent 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  lateritic 
  stratum 
  wherein 
  

   the 
  cave 
  occurs. 
  It 
  is 
  entered 
  from 
  the 
  top 
  by 
  a 
  natural 
  opening, 
  and 
  

   there 
  is 
  also 
  a 
  ' 
  swallow 
  hole' 
  in 
  the 
  roof 
  which 
  may 
  or 
  may 
  not 
  be 
  of 
  

   artificial 
  origin 
  ; 
  the 
  cave, 
  however, 
  appears 
  never 
  to 
  have 
  been 
  tenanted 
  

   by 
  any 
  animals 
  save 
  bats, 
  and 
  possess 
  no 
  features 
  of 
  interest 
  whatever. 
  

  

  VI. 
  — 
  Fossil-wood 
  Group. 
  

  

  This 
  group 
  of 
  beds, 
  which 
  I 
  have 
  so 
  designated 
  from 
  its 
  uppermost 
  

   member, 
  being 
  the 
  bed 
  whence 
  the 
  enormous 
  quantity 
  of 
  fossil-wood 
  so 
  

   plentifully 
  dispersed 
  through 
  the 
  gravels 
  of 
  the 
  Irrawadi 
  valley 
  was 
  

   originally 
  derived, 
  at 
  present 
  occupies 
  a 
  very 
  restricted 
  area, 
  compared 
  

   with 
  its 
  former 
  limits 
  ; 
  though 
  from 
  the 
  excessive 
  denudation 
  the 
  group 
  

   has 
  undergone, 
  it 
  is 
  impossible 
  now 
  to 
  say 
  precisely 
  how 
  far 
  it 
  once 
  

   actually 
  extended. 
  A 
  glance 
  at 
  the 
  map 
  will 
  convey 
  a 
  better 
  idea 
  than 
  

  

  { 
  U7 
  ) 
  

  

  