King
after a period of 110 days without any rain; and they must have
been ejected either during the north-east or more probably during
the previous south-west monsoon; for their surfaces had suffered
some disintegration and they were penetrated by many fine roots. A
drawing is here given (Fig. 4) of one which seems to have best
retained its original size and appearance. Notwithstanding some
loss from disintegration, five of the largest of these castings
(after having been well sun-dried) weighed each on an average 89.5
grammes, or above 3 oz.; and the largest weighed 123.14 grammes, or
4.33 oz.,--that is, above a quarter of a pound! The largest
convolutions were rather more than one inch in diameter; but it is
probable that they had subsided a little whilst soft, and that
their diameters had thus been increased. Some had flowed so much
that they now consisted of a pile of almost flat confluent cakes.
All were formed of fine, rather light-coloured earth, and were
surprisingly hard and compact, owing no doubt to the animal matter
by which the particles of earth had been cemented together. They
did not disintegrate, even when left for some hours in water.
Although they had been cast up on the surface of gravelly soil,
they contained extremely few bits of rock, the largest of which was
only 0.
Pages:
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119