Stone Implements in Lateritic formations. 27 



highly probable, and their having done so would go far to 

 explain the presence of so many implements close to the 

 surface, nor would it require much ingenuity to imagine 

 numerous reasons for the stone weapons having been lost. 



It will be seen in the notes appended to this paper by 

 my colleague Mr. King that he inclines to explain the 

 presence of great numbers of the stone weapons in certain 

 places, as in the valley of the Attrampakkam nullah and in 

 a locality he refers to, lying northward of the Narnaveram 

 river, near Cupedoo, by supposing that those localities were 

 seats of manufactories of Implements for purpose of barter. 

 This idea founded on the presence of some rude and half 

 finished Implements, among many perfect ones and of 

 numerous flakes, is not in any way improbable, but more 

 evidence is wanted on the subject. 



The very perfect state of preservation of most of the 

 extremely numerous Implements in the former locality is a 

 great difficulty in supposing the laterite occurring on both 

 sides of the nullah to be a re-constructed conglomerate, as 

 which both Dr. Oldham and Mr. King are inclined to con- 

 sider it. 



In many places the beds contain both water- worn Imple- 

 ments and others which have not been worn by drifting, 

 the latter underlying the former, which indicates that 

 accumulation of laterite mud and quartzite shingle con- 

 tinued after the deposition in loco of the unworn Imple- 

 ments. The ferruginous materials of which the laterite 

 mud and shingle banks were constructed were in the case 

 of the formations lying east of the Alicoor hills brought down 

 by rivers occupying nearly the present positions of 

 the Trittany, Naggery and Narnaveram rivers, aided by 

 the marine currents flowing through the depressions in 



