Fauna and Stratigraphy of the Stormlerg Ne/v't*. 



445 



s]eciiuens of similar and even greater diameter were obtained --also 

 from near the base of the beds - at Blikana. 



Orange Free State. The Red Beds are well exposed on the eastern 

 border of this province, being especially well seen between Thaba 

 'Nchu and Modderpoort, around Ficksburg, and between Fouriesburg 

 and Harrismith. Fossils have been collected at Fouriesburg, but no 

 details of the Beds are available. Red colour predominates, but at 

 Ficksburg the base of the formation consists of very thick grits - 

 which, however, may prove to be a local excessive development of 

 the Molteno Beds. 



The Red Beds are exposed on the sides of the Thaba 'Nchu hills 



Cave Sandstone 



~rnfdiu.m grcunecL -Sandsfone 



.Heat artd qrf.eru.sh. S/ia/es, 7nu.dj/bnes a.n.ct faff njfufe yrt'fe 

 -Tteal fo hu.r'fif/\h. Soft fe/s/iaftiit. prt'/'s 

 -Red a. 

 ~//araf 



Tied Reds 



^----u/pxr 



MieULLe. /3 eau fort 



Fig. 49. Verkijkersberg. S.W. of Memel, O.F.S. 



about Tweespruit. They are about -450 ft. thick and are predominantly 

 argillaceous, consisting of red and blue shales with at least one prom- 

 inent sandstone band. 



Du Toit has studied the section shown by the Platberg, near 

 Harrismith and he has kindly sent me details of this unpublished 

 study. At the base of the mountain are red and purple shales with 

 medium-grained sandstones, representatives of the Beaufort Beds - 

 a slightly lower horizon of which has yielded a Middle Beaufort fauna 

 on the Harrismith Commonage. Lying above these are "290 feet of 

 strata which he assigns to the Red Beds, there being thus an unconformity 

 between the Beaufort Beds and the Red Beds, the Molteno Beds being 

 absent. At the base of the Red Beds is a thin but gritty sandstone. 

 This is followed in succession by over 100 feet of soft purple shales, 



