1833.] Asiatic Society. 205 
rily pass, and, when the stones projected by a sharp point into the path, the angles 
only were polished. The den was low, and numerous bones lay scattered in the 
outer parts into which I crawled: the foot marks of the animals were dis- 
tinct and fresh. Most of the bones were much broken, and the dung of the 
hyenas near the place were full of large pieces of ribs, unbroken tarsal bones, &c. 
During the search, I was astonished at the vast numbers of rats’ heads and 
bones found in the place in little heaps, evidently out of reach of the hyznas, 
and often onthe top of insulated blocks ; these were below the fissures open at 
the top, and the dung of hawks readily suggested that they were dropped by 
these birds, which was confirmed bya large feather of one found with the bones. 
Some of the bones were surrounded with the fur of the animal, and had been only 
recently voided; and what was remarkable, the upper and lower jaw were not sepa- 
rated, but the flesh beautifully cleaned away by the digestive process ; the other bones 
were entire, although disunited. In the larger skulls, the back part had been 
broken, and in one only, crushed. In a few minutes, I removed a plate full of 
skulls and other bones, amongst which are three species of mus, squirrel, sorex, bats, 
and birds. Had the rock been of lime @#t stone, fossil animal remains would have 
been found. The curious confirmation of Buckland’s supposition regarding the 
polished blocks in the caves appears to me very interesting, as his views stood 
much in need of illustration from the habits of living species.”’ 
Specimens of Fossil Shells from Jabulptr—presented by Dr. Spilsbury. 
“ The locality of the fossil shells, which I have at length the pleasure to send to 
the Society, lies about 18 or 20 miles east of Jabalpur. The first three miles cross a 
sandy plain, which abruptly terminates at a small rivulet ; when the soil changes 
to the black alluvial one of the valley. At six miles cross the Gour river, a rough 
ghat of trap: the road winds on between trap hills varying from 50 to 300 feet 
high. I encamped at Suleya on the same river (here 200 feet broad) : the bed in- 
tersected with veins of heliotrope, quartz, massive and crystallized. The road then 
led through an undulating country, with irregular masses of trap, and for less than 
a mile beyond, masses of the accompanying shell breecia, from a single shell to large 
blocks of two feet, extend, mixed with the trap, over a space about 300 feet square. 
The spot had been under fillee cultivation. There was no nd/d or ravine near, 
whence I could judge of the nature of the substrata, but at no great distance I could 
see the trap appearing precisely as in the bed of the river. JI asked the lime-burner 
how he came to discover them ? His account was, that he isin the habit of taking 
small quantities of lime to the neighbouring villages for sale, and in his travels has 
an eye to the geological features of the country as far as limestone is concerned :— 
passing this field some nine or ten months ago he was struck with the very differ- 
ent appearance and color of the stones,—and hence the discovery of these fossil 
shells.’’ 
The matrix of these shells appears to be indurated clay, and the forms of the 
shells are in most cases replaced with silicious matter ; they resemble, as Dr. Spils- 
bury suggests, the buccinum and other shells in the Gawelgir range of hills de- 
scribed by Voysey, (GLEANINGS, vol. i. p. 356*.) 
Some specimens of Minerals from Manipur, Kachar, Kabi, and Assam, 
including fossil wood from the Ningti river—presented by Captain R. B. 
Pemberton. 
* We hope ere long to present our readers with drawings of these shells.—Eb. 
\ 
