PART 3.] Foote; Geological features of the Madura District, 
149 
the coarse granular gneiss are worn and rounded in situ. Much coarse and fine 
lateritic debris rests on and among the boulders. Ho section was seen showing 
undisturbed laterite in clear juxtaposition to the boulder beds, but the latter bear 
greater resemblance to the beds of similar character forming the base of the 
Kajmahal formations near Utatiir, Sripermatur, and Ongole than they do to any 
true lateritic conglomerate that I am acquainted with. 
IV.— The Cuddalore Series. 
The representatives of the Cuddalore series (established by Mr. H. F. Blan- 
ford for certain rocks in South Arcot and Trichinopoly districts) which occur iu 
our limits consist of coarse conglomerates, sandstones and grits, the latter pass¬ 
ing locally into a rock perfectly undistinguishable from the common laterite 
which so largely covers the surface in this region. Here as in so many other 
parts of the Coromandel coast, the slight slope of the country and the veiy low 
dip of the rocks have prevented the formation of really valuable natural sections, 
and civilization has not yet advanced sufficiently to have given rise to any ai'tifi- 
cial ones of importance. The extension of wet cultivation greatly militates 
against the formation of deep channels by the different smaller streams draining 
the country. All are dammed back at many points of their courses, and 
give rise to the formation of local alluvial flats which only add to the obscura¬ 
tion of the younger rocks, whose relations are therefore generally very unsatis¬ 
factorily and imperfectly displayed, so that definite information regarding many 
interesting sti’atigraphical points is at present not procurable. The total absence, 
so far, of organic remains renders the correlation of detached exposui’os of even 
similar rocks of great and inevitable uncertainty. These difficulties present 
themselves saliently in the Tanjore, Pudukotai, and Madura districts. 
The most northerly section in which rocks, assumedly of Cuddalore age, are to 
be seen, occurs to the south-east of the village of Tbachen- 
kurichi (Thachencoorchy), some six miles north of Gan- 
darakotai (Gundaracottah) in Tanjore district. A fair 
show of grits and sandstones is here to be seen along the sides of a small winding 
stream. The sandstones occur in irregular somewhat lenticular patches of dark 
brown color and considerable hardness. They are overlaid by gHtty sandstones 
mottled pale puiqde, yellow and rusty red. The upper beds of these are very 
clayey and lateritic in character. To the south-east of this section lie two small 
low hills, both capped with thick conglomeratic laterite, but no evidence could be 
found as to what underlies this capping, the sides of the hills being thickly 
covered with debris and thorny jungle. The sandstone beds in the stream banks 
and bed roll about in various directions. West of the village is a broad low 
ridge of iU-compacted gritty shingle conglomerate, which clips eastward under 
gi’itty laterite close to the high road to Pattukotai. Simi- 
neM conglomerate occurs resting on the gneiss on the high 
ground north-east of Pudukotai near Kumnpatti (Coomoo- 
putty), and further west near Yeddiapatti. 
Along the southern brow of the same high ground overlooking the town of 
Pudukotai is a line of low' cliffs, 12 to 1C feet high, show'ing conglomerate of 
B 
