620 On the recent Cataclysm of the Indus. [No. 1 16. 



silting up or clearing out any channels of the river previously naviga- 

 ble, or the reverse, &c. &c. 



Henry Torrens, Esq. &c. &c. Calcutta. 



This letter was laid before the Governor General, when, with the 

 usual kindly interest evinced by His Lordship on all scientific subjects, 

 assurances were given, that occasion would not be lost sight of, for the 

 purpose of making due inquiry into the causes of the phenomena 

 described. Lord Auckland indeed addressed Mr. Clerk, (Gov. General's 

 Agent, N. W. frontier), at length on the subject ; but before the letter 

 reached its destination, Mr. Clerk had already deputed Dr. Jameson, 

 Civil Surgeon at Umbala, and for sometime our officiating Curator, for 

 the purpose of inquiry. The results of this interesting mission will be 

 anxiously looked for. Qj 



Note on the Fossil Jaw, sentfrom Juhbulpore by Dr. Spilsbury. By the 

 Acting Curator, Mr. Piddington. 



At the request of our Secretary, I add the following remarks to 

 those of Dr. Spilsbury on this fossil. I could wish the task had 

 fallen into the hands of one qualified to draw inferences, which I can- 

 not venture upon doing, but must content myself with stating facts as 

 I observe them. 



Since Dr. Spilsbury's note was written I find that the matrix 

 (which is unfortunately a very hard conglomerate of rolled pebbles 

 in a paste of coarse calcareous sandstone) has been chiselled off, so as 

 to clear the side faces of the molar plates more than is seen in Dr. 

 Spilsbury's drawing. I proceed to remark on the peculiarities which 

 the fossil in its present state presents to an inexperienced eye, and 

 on comparing it with both recent and fossil crania in the Museum. 

 In its general appearance the remarkable differences are, 



(1) The narrowness of the teeth ; (2) the deep sulcus formed by their 

 great protrusion below the palatal bone ; (3) the closeness of the 

 plates of the teeth, and the angle formed by the molars and incisors, 

 which cannot be distinguished as separate with the posterior part 

 of the jaw ; (4) the transverse breadth of the jaw at the point where 



