THE 



CALCUTTA JOURNAL 



OF 



NATURAL HISTORY. 



On Cyrtoma, a new genus of Fossil Echinida. By Mr. J. 

 M'Clelland. 



It is now four years since the discovery of a raised sea- 

 beach was first announced, reposing on the face of the 

 Khasya mountains, inclining to the north-eastern boundary 

 of the plains of Bengal ; more urgent occupations, as well as 

 the want of proper facilities for working out the details 

 on which the interest and importance of this fact depends, 

 have hitherto prevented my doing more than merely alluding 

 to it incidentally in different communications connected with 

 my late visit to Assam.* I have since then endeavoured 

 to collect as many specimens as possible of the animals 

 which now inhabit the Bay of Bengal, as well as books and 

 drawings of such as have hitherto been found either in a 



* The interest already excited in Europe by this discovery has induced some 

 distinguished cultivators of science, of whom we may mention Mr. Edward 

 Charlesworth and Mr. S.V.Wood, to supply us with collections of secondary and 

 tertiary fossils, for the purpose of assisting in working out its details. Their exam- 

 ple, I hope soon to find will be followed by other eminent individuals. Such col- 

 lections I shall always be happy to render available to any persons who may be 

 engaged in pursuits to which they may be useful. At first it was rr/y intention to 

 deposit these collections, on the part of the liberal donors, in the Museum of the 

 Asiatic Society, but as that would, under the late Rules of the Society, render them 

 useless, as far as the object for which they were intended is concerned, I would ill 

 discharge my duty by doing so. 



VOL. I. NO. II. JULY, 1840. Y 



