and Auxiliary Royal Asiatic Society. 



189 



the promotion of science is concerned, in whatever shape you as a disJiple 

 of the school will be willing to lend your aid in the attainment and 

 diffusion of knowledge. My relative, John Bird, now in Council at Mad- 

 ras, or Mr. Malcolmson, of the house of Forbes and Co., of Bombay, will 

 receive and forward to me any little box or boxes of specimens, according 

 to the Memorandum which you may be able to make up for me. 



I am, &c 



< (Signed) John Briggs. 



Memorandum drawn up by Major General Briggs, and submitted for 

 approval to Sir H. De la Beche, F. R. S. andF. G. S., -md John Phillips, 

 Esq., F. R. S. and F. G. S., Professor of Geology in the Royal Institu- 

 tion of London and University of Dublin. ■ 



BOULDERS IN THE PENINSULA OF INDIA. 



The occurrence in various parts of the globe of large rounded isolated 

 blocks of rock, denominated boulders, has excited much interest, and has 

 given rise to more than one theory among geologists as to the cause 

 of their form, and their actual position. 



These boulders exist in several localities in the Peninsula of India, either 

 lying singly or in heaps, and are often found superposed one on ano- 

 ther, without the intervention of any medium of connexion. Again, 

 they are discovered cropping out from underneath the surface, and are not 

 unfrequently met with (in digging for wells) several feet below the earth, 

 but in all cases detached from any other rock. 



They are to be seen at Puttencheroo, a town a few miles north of Hyde- 

 rabad; at the latter place they abound in great quantities for several 

 miles around that city; again at Muktul, on the road to the Ceded Dis- 

 tricts, wherein they are also found; and they maybe traced through seve- 

 ral places in Mysore, especially at Bangalore and its vicinity. 



Every information regarding the existence of these boulders, whether 

 as to their size, their form, their geological structure, their situation, 

 and their vicinity to any hills of similar structure, is of great interest. 

 Hand specimens of the boulders and of the adjacent rocks, each marked 

 separately, are desirable, and any geological description of the locality 

 would be valuable ; but as the latter desideratum can only be furnished 

 by a competent geologist, it is neither to be expected, nor is it essential. 



The specimens should be about two inches cube, which, with the requir- 

 ed information might be packed in a small flat box, and sent to the Pre- 

 sidency by an early opportunity. 



The date and place, with the name of the contributor of the informa- 

 tion, are important to guarantee authenticity. 



