NO. 48. — 1897.] GEOLOGY AND MINERALOGY. 



45 



to be the work of the Indian Ocean, aided by a tropical sun 

 and tropical rains. 



Supposed Fossil Marks. — Ibbagala, or " tortoise rock," at 

 Kurunegala, was thought to be of interest from a palaeonto- 

 logical point of view, and the details of the supposed discovery 

 of fossil marks were thus stated : — 



Some of these appear to be the footprints of hogs, others those of 

 some feline beasts of prey. The impression of the paws as well as 

 the toes are so well and distinctly marked and continued along whole 

 tracks as not to be mistaken or confounded with any ripple marks or 

 other irregularities produced by the denudation of its surface. Though 

 Ibbagala appears to belong to the class of primitive or plutonic rocks, 

 it appears that there must have been a subsequent super-imposition 

 of sedimentary formations, which, while in a soft state, received the 

 impressions that were rendered permanent by the consolidation or 

 crystallization of their particles. The whole structure of the rock 

 appears to the eye to be composed of hornblende, mica, and felspar, 

 with traces of an impure carbonate of lime.* 



The subject was brought up before the Ceylon Branch of 

 the Royal Asiatic Society by Mr, A. 0. Brodie, of Puttalam, 

 and Lieutenant Henderson, of the Ceylon Rifle Regiment, 

 both of whom wrote papers ventilating their views, but 

 unfortunately these papers are lost to the world, f and the 

 only particulars available are referred to in the minutes of a 

 special meeting held on March 23, 1850. 



In an interesting Paper as to the origin of laterite forma- 

 tion in the Island, Dr. Kelaart wrote in connection with the 

 point at issue — 



This subject is now engaging the attention of the Geological Society 

 of London, their notice being attracted to it by the so-called foot- 

 prints on the gneissic rock at Kurunegala, which I have not yet had an 

 opportunity of examining. 



* " Young Ceylon," vol. I., No. 2, March, 1850, p. 49 : Topography of 

 Kornegalle, by T. A. P. 



f A careful reference to the transactions, as well as a diligent search 

 by the Honorary Secretary among the papers of the Ceylon Branch of the 

 Royal Asiatic Society, failed to discover these papers. Finally, an appli- 

 cation by the writer to the Secretary of the Geological Society, London, 

 to which institution, it was said, the original papers were forwarded, was 

 equally fruitless, and elicited the reply from Mr. L. Belifante, Assistant 

 Secretary : " I can find no trace of the papers to which you refer." 



