64 Note relating to Sivalik Fauna. [No. 2, 



largely made up of their debris. Such evidence is so immutable to the 

 geologist, and, when on so grand a scale, entails such grave consider- 

 ations of time, that I presumed to call in question the one published 

 statement (in Vol. III. p. 527 of the J. A. S. B. for 1884) of 

 vertebrate JSivalik fossils having been found within the area of the 

 older groups, not having myself succeeded in re-discovering fossils at 

 the locality indicated. My scepticism was of course based upon' the 

 d priori consideration of geological time ; and because, as I state at 

 p. 105 of my Memoir, no corresponding distinction has as yet been 

 suspected by the authors of the Fauna Sivalensis. I made due 

 attempts to authenticate the observation which I had called in question 

 by referring to the original discoverers ; as, however, in every reply 

 I received, there was some trace of ambiguity, not wishing to give 

 further trouble to my correspondents, I published the whole case in 

 its unsettled form, giving full directions for the application of the 

 verdict on either side (see pp. 15, 16, 104 — 6, of my Memoir). 

 I have now the pleasure to announce this verdict ; and, notwithstand- 

 ing the precaution I took to provide for its application, the fact cannot 

 well be stated without a few words of explanation. 



Ina letter dated the 16th July, 1864, Sir Proby.Cautley tells me that 

 he has himself collected fossils on the north side of Nahan *'. e. in the 

 rocks of my middle group, the same in every respect as those he 

 had found more abundantly at the south base of the Sivalik hills, east 

 of the Jumna. The peculiar mode of occurrence of these fossils in 

 the nodular clays (' clay-conglomerate' of Cautley), as compared with 

 those found in the coarse gravel deposits, could not escape observation. 

 The former were all small and fragmentary. Large masses of the clay 

 had to be carted from the hills and broken up at leisure in search of 

 the fossil remains. I aeed scarcely, however, state that the Sivalik 

 fossils have hitherto been given and received as one undivided fauna. 

 Every one interested in these subjects will join in the regret expressed 

 by SirProby Cautley that it is now impossible to work the question out, 

 unless upon fresh materials. He informs me that the large collection 

 of these smaller fossils, sent by him with the others to the British 

 Museum, is now not to be found. 



To palaeontologists then, we may now announce that a most interest- 

 ing case awaits their investigation, namely, the comparison of well 



