The Crystalline Limestones of Ceylon

Abstract

I. Introduction. In 1860 Baron Ferdinand von Richthofen recorded the occurrence of limestones in Ceylon. He observed the intimate associations of ‘gneiss’ and granular limestone, and the transitions between the two. Mr. A. C. Dixon has given a short account of the beds of limestone as follows:—The ‘beds run through the gneiss in a somewhat parallel direction, striking generally north-west by north to north, and having various angles of dip, from 10° to 40°.’ He refers to five bands. ‘The first is one which outcrops a few miles this side of Balangoda, and runs north-north-west, occurring again at Hunuwala. The second runs through Dolosbage and Maskeliya; probably the bed occurring at Bilhul Oya is continuous with this. The third outcrops under the Great Western [Mountain] on the Great Western Estate, and is continuous to the north-north-west with the Wattegoda and Medakumbura dolomites, and probably also with the beds at Gampola and Kurunegala. .A subsidiary bed—or it may be an outlier of this—occurs near the Pussellawa rest-house. The fourth bed outcrops largely at Wilson's Bungalow, Glen Devon, Dumbara, and Matale. The fifth occurs in the Badulla District.’ ( Op. cit. pp. 42–43.) I may say that the identity of these bands over such considerable distances requires confirmation. Under the name of cipolin , Prof. A. Lacroix has described some specimens of crystalline limestone from Ceylon, which form part of the De Bournon collection belonging to the Collège de France and that of Leschenault de la Tour in the Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris.