Correspondence. 1 13 



It is a popular theory now among the geologists of the German 

 School particularly, that the existence and propinquity of a certain 

 relative extent of sedimentary rocks to large igneous formations is 

 necessary to the production of that description of electro-magnetic ac- 

 tion by which the segregation of mineral particles disseminated through 

 the mass of either — or both — is achieved j and it is a theory which ap- 

 pears well borne out in this part of India, where in the south sedimen- 

 tary rocks occur only in the smallest comparative compass, and where 

 such a thing as segregation of mineral particles is in all directions 

 wanting. 



Extract of a letter from C. E. Cunliffe, Esq. C. S. regarding the discovery 

 of tertiary remains near Pondicherry, and announcing the dispatch of a 

 series of the fossils for examination ; dated Tripachanoor, district of South 

 Arcot, March 12th 1841. 



I have been requested by my friend Ochterlony of the En- 

 gineers to forward to you some specimens of the fossil shells obtained 

 by Mr. Kaye, of the Civil Service, and myself, in a limestone deposit 

 situated near the village of Sydapetta, about 10 miles west of 

 Pondicherry. I have dispatched a small basket of them to my 

 agents at Madras for transmission to you, which I hope will 

 reach you in safety. I will now detail the manner in which we 

 became possessed of them. In March last year we saw in the 

 house of a friend at Pondicherry a few shells that had been 

 sent in from the neighbourhood by Lieut. Newbold, of the Madras 

 army, and Mr. Kaye and myself then determined to visit the site 

 at an early opportunity. None offered until October, when we went 

 to the spot and picked up a few Ostrea, Baculites Spatangi, Echini, 

 and what were supposed to be portions of Belemnites, and a few 

 bivalve shells. A report of the visit has been written by Mr. Kaye 

 for the Madras Literary Journal, together with drawings of the shells, 

 which are I believe to appear in the next number ; a copy of this 

 work I should suppose easily procurable in Calcutta, and as the 

 deposit and its neighbourhood is accurately described therein, I will 

 refer you to it. In December we again visited the spot, and obtained 

 more and finer specimens of the above shells, and one morning as my 

 companion and myself had by accident separated during our search, 

 I returned to the tents by a circuitous route. I had the good fortune 

 however on my way, in a deep gorge, to fall upon some Nautili, spe- 



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