1838.] Proceedings qfthe Asiatic Society, 987 



occupies. It is also certain, that unless there be some counteracting forces engaged, 

 the action of the waves together with that of the boring shell-fishes (Litkodomi and 

 a kind of Teredo) the danger of these rocks must he gradually diminishing. Hence 

 the importance in a scientific point of view of the accurate surveys of this coast now 

 in progress ; for had such been made 100 years ago for instance, we should now be 

 able to learn the relative changes that may have since taken place between the levels 

 of the land and sea. No one knows any thing of the molluscs of the Bay of Bengal : 

 we cannot therefore tell what animal it is that has perforated the fragmeut of rock 

 thus accidentally brought away from the Terribles in the manner described, and 

 which must aid the operations of the waves materially in breaking down this 

 dangerous reef. I may take this opportunity of pointing out the identity of the 

 perforations in the submerged reef with those that have been formed under similar 

 circumstances in the sandstone of Cherra Ponji, and which may be seen in several 

 specimens of the latter rock now in the museum. To illustrate this subject still 

 farther, I may submit to the Society a sample of the work of a Teredo which rapidly 

 devours trunks of trees aud all woods that are cast on the shores of the Bay. 



44 This last specimen 1 received from Dr. Cantor, the only naturalist who has 

 paid the slightest attention, that I am aware of, to the molluscs of the Bay ; the 

 perforations in the wood are identical with those of the lithophagus teredo on the 

 rock, though neither animal has yet been described, but we may perhaps consider 

 the former to be the Teredo navalis or the T. Clava. Several similar animals are 

 however known to inhabit the seas within the tropics ; but the fistulana that perforate 

 rocks, though in a geological point of view the most important of all, are not, I 

 believe, known but by their perforations." 



Extract of a letter, dated 7th November, 1838, from Captain G. C. 



Armstrong to Mr. McClelland, accompanying a box of minerals which 



are presented to the Society. 



•* This station is in 22° 36' N., and 86° 40' E., nearly surrounded by hills, at 

 distances varying from 5 to 25 miles off. The soil in the cantonment, and to some 

 distance is clay (from the decomposition of felspar), mixed with small fragments of 

 quartz containing both iron and red oxide of manganese in large quantities ; the 

 surface is covered with a little vegetable mould. 



" The hills west 5 miles off are formed of large boulders of greenstone and 

 quartz ; to the south granite, greenstone, clinkstone, and small portions of white 

 marble ; to the north mica slate in very large quantities, imbedded with schorl 

 in aggregate crystals. In the Roro river aud its vicinity, slate, limestone, jasper, 

 quartz rock, and rock crystal are found." Capt. Armstrong thinks there are also 

 indications of coal in this part of Singboom. Coal, I may remark, has recently been 

 observed by Dr. Dunbar of the same corps on the way from Ramgur to Hazaree- 

 baugh, but it is probably that which was before observed by Mr. Drummond of the 

 latter place." 



Read the subjoined Report by the Curator on several objects of natural 



history recently added to the Society's collection. 



Skeleton of the long-lipped bear, Ursus labiatus, (Blainville.) Bradypus 

 ursinus, (Shaw,) presented by the Curator, under whose supervision it has been pre- 

 pared and artificially articulated for the museum. 



Of the now several admitted subdivisions of the genus ursus, the present 

 individual ranks as one, and forms a perfectly distinct species from any of the 

 present known varieties; its geographical range being confined exclusively to 

 continental India — at least we are warranted in so limitiug its distribution, no 

 accounts having as yet verified the existence of this animal in any of the tropical 

 forests of the Indian archipelago, or in fact in any other parts of the globe — until 

 future discoveries prove the contrary, it may therefore with propriety be regarded as 

 one of the natural zoological productions peculiar to India proper ; and were not the 

 specific name ' labiatus' so well applied as a systematic denomination in illustrat- 

 ing one of its most prominent distinguishing features, the employment of the topical 

 name ' Indicus' would, in my humble opinion, be much more appropriate than on 

 the many ordinary occasions where it is given. 



Although our animal may probably differ from those of cold climates in some 

 minor points, it nevertheless possesses all the generic characters of the typical 

 bears, and is the nondescript animal, and again the ursine sloth of early zoological 

 writers. 



