24 LAKE : GEOLOGY OF SOUTH MALABAR. 



Pahdika'd, slopes downwards. North-east the slope is still greater. 

 The Pyenad Hills, east and north-east of Manjeri, rise in many places 

 above the laterite, and the level of the laterite is lower on the north 

 side of these hills than on the south (see Section III, PI. VIII). But 

 the supposed remains of the plateau on the north are very scanty, and 

 it is possible that they belong to the next group. Most of the 

 laterite between Pandikad and Nilambur belongs to the valley group. 



South-east of Pandalur there are no caps ; but the level of the 

 ground is high (350 feet), and it is partly covered with laterite, much 

 of which probably belongs to the plateau, though some may belong 

 to the terrace and valley groups. 



Terrace laterite. — This, unlike the plateau laterite, is generally of 

 the pellety variety, as, indeed, might be expected when we remember 

 that it is mainly a river or rainwash deposit. But a certain amount of 

 the vesicular form is found on the terraces ; and this has no doubt 

 been formed partly by the decomposition of the gneiss of the terrace 

 floors, and partly by the lateritisation of river clays. 



The finest terraces in South Malabar are seen near Malapuram, 

 and on the old road from Tirurangddi through Venkatakotta to 

 Angadipuram. 



The small stream valleys are also often terraced. There is a very 

 ^ood example about 3 miles south-east of Kottakal bazar (Ven- 

 ketakota of map). The terraces, in correspondence with the size of 

 the stream, are small, but well marked (Fig. 9, PI. IV). There are three 

 terraces on the right (east) side of the valley, and two on the left. 



There are several other very fine examples of terraces near this 

 one. About a mile west of it there is a spur running from north to 

 south. The valley is filled with laterite, and in ascending the spur 

 we pass first over gneiss, then over a terrace of laterite, and at last 

 reach the cap (Fig. 10, PI. V). 



The slope between the cap and the terrace is, in the line of 

 section of Fig. 10, covered very thinly by reconsolidated laterite. 

 But a little to the east the slope is gneissic. 



On the opposite (i.e., west) side of the stream, which flows from 

 ( 224 ) 



