28 Mr. R. Bruce Foote on the occurrence of 



those hills, one of which may now be recognized in the 

 Alicoor valley, and the Narnaveram valley representing 

 another. 



The quartzite boulders and pebbles were evidently derived 

 from the conglomerates of the islands of the Naggery and 

 Narnaveram coasts. 



The absence of all animal remains in these very interest- 

 ing formations in which relics of human art are so numer- 

 ous may in part have been due to the presence in the sea 

 of large numbers of powerful predaceous fish, and, in part 

 also, may we ascribe it to the decomposing effect of the 

 peroxide of Iron, which is so large a constituent of the 

 laterite. 



The area over which the lateritic formations were spread 

 has undergone as already stated great changes since their 

 deposition. A great part of the formations has been re- 

 moved by denudation and deep valleys cut into them, now 

 occupied by the alluvium of various rivers, as the Soorna- 

 mookey, the Narnavaram River, the Corteliar and Palar. 



If the lateritic deposits of Pondicherry, Cuddalore, Woo- 

 diarpolliam and Tanjore belong to the same series as those 

 in which Implements have been found, and were once con- 

 tinuous, and we have every reason to believe that they were 

 so, — the excavation of the present vallies of the Punniaur, 

 Vellar and Cauvery through these lateritic deposits, and the 

 accumulation of their respective alluvia must also have com- 

 menced subsequently to the appearance of man on the earth. 



Of the age of the very extensive deposits of lateritic 

 minerals on the Western coast of India, a considerable part 

 of which certainly appears to be of truly sedimentary origin, 

 we have as yet no information, but it seems not unlikely 



