1865.] stoliczea indian ceetaceors cephalopoda. 407 



Apkil 26, 1865. 



J. W. Conrad Cox, Esq., B.A., 4 Grove Hill, Woodford, N.E., and 

 32 Westbourne Place, Eaton Square, W. ; Henry K^ Jordan, Esq., 

 Tenby House, Cotham, Bristol ; and Tbomas J. Sells, Esq., M.E.C.S., 

 of Guildford, Surrey, were elected Fellows. 



The following communications were read : — 



1. On the Character of the Cephalopoda of the Sotjth-Indian Cketa- 

 CEOTJS Rocks. By E. Sxoliczka, Ph.D., of the Geological Survey 

 of India. 



[Communicated by the Assistant-Secretary.] 



Nearly twenty-five years have elapsed since the fossiliferous Creta- 

 ceous deposits of the Carnatic first received attention through the 

 zealous labours of Messrs. Kaye and B. Cunliffe, and since this first 

 notice of fossils in the neighbourhood of Pondieheriy and Verda- 

 chellum much has been done for the study of these rocks. 



From Mr. H. F. Blanford's report* we know that the entire series 

 of the Cretaceous deposits either rests immediately on the crystaULne 

 rocks, or is in some places only separated from them by a small 

 thickness of plant-bearing beds. Dr. T. Oldham f identified three 

 species of the plants from these beds with others occurring in the 

 Eajmahal series in Bengal. From this identification he regards the 

 plant-bearing beds of Trichinopoly as being of the same age with the 

 Rajmahal group, which is generally believed to be at least Jurassic, 

 the exact age, however, not being as yet settled. Above the plant- 

 beds we have the Cretaceous deposits, which have been examined 

 by Mr. H. F. Blanford and other ofiicers of the Geological Survey, 

 in the Trichinopoly and South Arcot districts, and near Pondicherry. 

 In the two first-named districts Mr. Blanford separates them into 

 three divisions — the Ootatoor, Trichinopoly, and Arrialoor groups. 

 Near Pondicherry only two groups have been traced out, namely, the 

 Valudayur and Arrialoor. The Ootatoor and Yaludayur groups are 

 the lowest and oldest among the whole series, the others being suc- 

 cessively younger. 



Since the extensive collections of South-Indian Cretaceous fossils, 

 brought together from several localities by Messrs. Kaye and Cun- 

 liffe, and so carefully examined by the late Prof. E. Forbes j, a vast 

 number of fossils has been collected during the progress of the 

 Survey of the diff'erent districts. A detailed examination of these 

 fossils was determined on several years ago by the Superintendent of 

 the Geological Survey of India, and began with the descriptions and 

 figures of the Belemnitidce and NautiUdce by Mr. H. F. Blanford §. 



Having now brought the examination of the Ce])haloj)oda to a 



* Mem. Geol. Surv. India, 1862, vol. iv. pt. 1. 

 t Mem. Geol. Surv. India, 1861, vol. ii. p. 383. 

 X Trans. Geol. Soc. Lond. 2nd ser. vol. vii. 

 § Palffiontologia Indica. 1st ser. 1861. 



