578 Notes on Dehli Point, Pulo-Ttngkle, %c. [Sept. 



which caves have been evidently formed by the action of the waves 

 impinging against the rocks ; which action is still going on in certain 

 situations. Some caverns were situated higher up, and not now exposed 

 to the same agency, but it was noticed in a few of them that the 

 entrances were smooth, similar to those in various parts of the world, 

 which have been used, and smoothed down by the ingress and egress 

 of wild animals : it turned out, however, in this case, that the agent 

 that had worn these entrances was man himself, for these caves 

 furnish him with troglodytic abodes during the season for collecting 

 the nests of the Hirundo esculenta. 



Your attention may be more particularly called to the north side 

 of Pulo-Ledah, where will be found large masses of the same rock, 

 from 20 to 30 feet in length and breadth, and 10 feet in thickness, 

 lying in juxta-position, and no doubt originally deposited en masse, 

 but having been raised unequally, have been broken into their present 

 form and appearance. These masses were found rich in fossil remains ; 

 quantities of testaceous deposits were seen in all directions, partly 

 above the general surface, undergoing disintegration along with the 

 matrix in which they were imbedded. Of the fossil nautilus, No. 16, 

 many were seen, as well as some others, concerning which some 

 doubt may remain whether or not they are ammonites. As to the 

 nautilus no doubt can exist, for the plain concave septse dividing the 

 chambers of the shell are well marked, with the siphuncle in the 

 middle. Had time and better tools permitted, better specimens would 

 have been procured ; but the matrix was found very indurated, and 

 it requires time to take such specimens out of hard stone, in a perfect 

 state. The labourer, always worthy of his hire, would here be richly 

 repaid for his time and trouble. 



I add the rough sketch of a shell as it was found lying in the 

 matrix, and of the natural size, which gives a tolerable idea of its 

 general appearance. Siliceous cylinders No. 22, occur frequently, 

 and a back bone was found in a fossilized state : from the round cup- 

 like appearance of the vertebrae, it is most probably that of a fish. 



Pulo-Ledah is one of the Lancavies, as well as Pulo-Trotto, (Giant's 

 island,) an island, high, mountainous, and worthy of being better 

 known; and Pulo-Tloer (Egg island) is a small one ; but the whole of 

 the islands in question will be found interesting, as on this subject 

 of fossil remains many of your correspondents in India are devoting 

 their time and attention with great success. I am sorry our time 

 among the islands mentioned was so limited, but it is enough that I 

 have pointed them out as a field worthy of future research, as well ae 

 the main land opposite. 



