1855.] Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. 175 



" The anatomical details occupied so much of the evening, that space 

 was not left for Dr. Falconer to enter on general points connected with 

 the fossil, such as its possible connexion with the mythological fables of 

 the Hindoos and the eera of its extinction, which will form the subject of 

 another communication. 



" The results of a chemical analysis of the bones by Mr. Middleton 

 were communicated, showing that they contained a very large quantity 

 of fluorine. Some rough sketches of the Colossoclielys were exhibited, 

 etched on glass by means of the fluorine yielded by its own bones. The 

 analysis indicated the presence of 11 per cent, of fluoride of calcium." 



" Colossoclielys Atlas. — The first fossil remains of this colossal tortoise 

 were discovered by us in 1835 in the tertiary strata of the Sewalik Hills, 

 or Sub-Himalayahs skirting the southern foot of the great Himalayah 

 chain. They were found associated with the remains of four extinct 

 species of Mastodon and Elephant, species of Rhinoceros, Hippopotamus, 

 Horse, Anoplotherium, Camel, Giraffe, Sivatherium, and a vast number 

 of other Mammalia, including four or five species of Quadrumana. The 

 Sewalik fauna included also a great number of reptilian forms, such as 

 crocodiles and land and freshwater tortoises. Some of the crocodiles be- 

 long to extinct species, but others appear to be absolutely identical with 

 species now living in the rivers of India : we allude in particular to the 

 Crocodilus longirostris, from the existing forms of which we have been 

 unable to detect any difference in heads dug out of the Sewalik Hills. 

 The same result applies to the existing Emys tectum, now a common 

 species found in all parts of India. A very perfect fossil specimen, pre- 

 senting the greater part of the evidence of the dermal scutes, is undistin- 

 guishable from the living forms, not varying more from these than they 

 do among each other. Prof. Thomas Bell, the highest living authority on 

 the family, after a rigid examination, confirms the result at which we had 

 arrived, that there are no characters shown by the fossil to justify its 

 separation from the living Emys tectum. There are other cases which ap- 

 pear to yield similar results, but the evidence has not yet been sufficient- 

 ly examined to justify a confident affirmation of the identity at present. 



" The remains of the Colossoclielys were collected during a period of 

 eight or nine years along a range of eighty miles of hilly country : they 

 belong in consequence to a great number of different animals, varying in 

 size and age. From the circumstances under which they are met with, 

 in crushed fragments, contained in elevated strata which have undergone 

 great disturbance, there is little room for hope that a perfect shell, or 

 anything approaching a complete skeleton, will ever be found in the Se- 

 2 A 



