Geology of Southern India. 199 



it was ever undertaken at all, since it is scarcely possible 

 to conceive one less calculated for the success of such an 

 attempt. The immediate succession of a close grained, 

 hard, compact, primary rock of unknown thickness to a 

 bed of porous sand, would effectually prevent the percola- 

 tion of water to any depth exceeding that of the sand it- 

 self, and consequently the formation of those interior re- 

 servoirs on which the economical value of artesian wells 

 depends. There are no porous strata beneath the sienite, 

 nor is the sienite itself a cavernous rock like certain lime- 

 stones in which water may collect in large basin-shaped 

 hollows ; hence the attempt must have been made with but 

 little consideration of the principles by which such opera- 

 tions ought to be guided, and hence also an additional 

 motive for the encouragement of the study of a science 

 which promises to obviate such unnecessary expenditure of 

 materials, money, and time. 

 Calcutta, 9th April, 1840. 



Remarks on the characters and habits of Ursus labiatus, with 

 a figure, Plate vn. — By Lieut. S. R. Tickell, 31 st Regi- 

 ment, Bengal Native Infantry, Junior Assistant to the 

 Agent of the Governor General on the South-west Frontier. 



Order III. CARNASSIER. 



Family, CARNIVORA. Tribe, Plantigrades. 



Genus, Ursus. Species, Labiatus. 



Ursus labiatus, Cuvier, Blainville — U. longirostris, of 



Teidm. — Bradypus Ursinus, Shaw — genus Prochilus of 



Illiger — the Long-lipped Bear, L'Ours — Bhaloo of Hin- 



doostan and Oorissa — Baloo and Banna of the Koles — Beer 



Mendee of the Orangs — Anonymous animal of Pennant and 



old writers — (the Reench of upper India I imagine to be 



the Black Bear of the Hills, another species.) — Plate VII. 



Teeth 3.1.6 



S ' A '$} of a side. 



