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Further Observations on the Fossiliferous beds near Pondi- 

 cherry, in continuation of a paper which appeared in the 

 Madras Journal of Literature and Science, for July 1840. 

 By C. T. Kaye, Esq. C. S. 



The above paper was written in November last, after a 

 short and hurried visit to the locality which I attempted 

 to describe, and when the nature of the deposit had been 

 very imperfectly ascertained. The hope, however, which I 

 then ventured to record, that the facts already brought to 

 light would lead to more important discoveries, has since 

 been completely realized. 



In December 1840, I was again enabled to take the field 

 at Seedrapett, in company with Mr. Cunliffe. The heavy 

 monsoon of that year had no doubt assisted our geological 

 zeal by abrading the surface of the soil, and thus produc- 

 ing a fresh crop of fossils, even on ground which we had 

 previously considered to be exhausted. We therefore easily 

 collected a great number of shells ; but the most interesting 

 discovery which this visit enabled us to make, was that of 

 the Nautilus and Ammonite : the former in great numbers, 

 very perfect, and of unusual size. I have described the 

 country round Seedrapett as an undulating plain: imme- 

 diately to the west of the village, after passing along the 

 bund of the tank, the limestone rises considerably, and the 

 brow of the eminence which it forms, is covered with an- 

 gular and rounded masses of the rock. Mingled with 

 these, lay a vast number of Nautili, the limestone of which 

 the fossils consist having, where exposed to the weather, 

 assumed so completely the appearance of large stones which 

 surround them, that there was much risk of their being 

 passed over entirely. When however the first discovery 

 made by Mr. Cunliffe had directed our attention to them, 

 we found them without difficulty ; and having pointed them 

 out to the villagers as the objects of our search, these in- 



