146 
Becoi'iU of the Geological Surveg of India, [vol. xil. 
UnconiioctGd with any of the above beds is a band of the gramilai’ rock at 
Mallampatti (Mullumputty), forming a low rocky ridge. The bedding in this 
ease is extremely obscure and doubtful. 
A gi’eat show of beautifully banded micaceous granite gneiss is to be seen at 
Orxnite ’ Virallimallai, a bold rock crowned with a temple of some 
crops. ^ note about twenty miles south-west of Trichinopoly on 
the high road to Madura. The lamination is in parts 
greatly contorted and “vandyked,” and the pink color of the rock, banded with* 
shades of grey and occasional black micaceous laminte, forms a stone of striking 
beauty. A similar banded, but paler coloi’ed hornblendic gi-anite gneiss is very 
largely quarried at Puliarpathi (Pooliai’putty), four and half miles east of Trijratur. 
The rock here has, however, undergone much less contortion, and the beds run in 
a simple ridge coinciding with the strike. These beds appear to underlie the 
granular quartzose beds which form the Neddamurrum hills above referred to. 
Among the more noteworthy outcrops of gi’anite gneiss in the northern irart 
of our area is a band of a pale grey micaceous variety which forms some large tors 
and bosses at Killumallai (Killumalla) in the northern corner of the bay of gneiss 
north of the Ikani-ar (Icunney-aur) valley. The general surface of the gneiss 
in this bay and south of it nearer Pudukotai is much obscured by sandy semi- 
latcritic soil. Gneiss crops up only here and there, and mostly in detached 
rounded bosses or “ whale backs,” as e. g., by the Konanda Kovil bosses, and the 
extensive “ whale backs” north-wnst of Shembatur. 
The rock forming the Vellongoody and Kunamulla trigonometrical stations 
lying a little westward of the gneissic bay just referred to, and the bosses of gneiss 
north of Kirnur (close to Kolatur) consist also of micaceous granite gneiss 
distinctly bedded, especially in the former case. There the bedding is greatly 
crumpled, and the rock weathers of dirty pinkish color. The Kunamulla rock is 
more compact, less micaceous and paler in color. It is quarried, and the freshly 
broken rock is very handsome, banded with pale shades of bluish and whitish-grey. 
Where the gneiss has been directly overlaid by the conglomerates and lateritos 
of the younger series, it mostly shows a great deal of 
giirhrmLT'iftedtT.” yellowish-red (rusty) ferruginous staining and a peculiar 
and characteristic gxitty roughness of decomposition of 
the surface not seen where the weathering action has taken place on the long 
exposed surface. 
Other fine outcrops of granite gneiss occur at Suriur (Sooriore) on the 
boundary of the laterite about seven miles north of Kolatur, and to the west of 
the last place to the north and south of Nangupatti (Naungooputty), and at 
Shatanpatti and Rapiissel (Raupoossel). There are also numerous fine examples 
of granite gneiss rocks to be seen on cither side of the Vellar valley to the west- 
wai‘d of Tirkomnm, e. p., at Pormanad, Chittur (Shittoor), and Surramulla. 
West of the latter village is a siiperb tor of great height, a consj)icuous object 
from considerable distances. East of the village several ridges of gneiss cross 
the river and divide the alluvial basin into two parts. The high ground south 
of this near Kotur is crowned by several prominent bosses standing up out of the 
scrub jungle. 
