MtSCELLAlfE0V8 NOTES. 209 



become enveloped in the layers of mud, sand or gravel formed by the 

 waters, and in the process of time are petrified, that is, converted into a 

 stony matter. By comparing fossil remains with existing races Ave are 

 enabled to determine many of the past conditions of the world. Each 

 period in the earth's history is marked by the existence of an animal and 

 a vegetable creation peculiar to itself, and^so characteristic of certain 

 formations are certain fossils, that the Geologist can very often determine 

 the exact age and place in the Geological sequence of a formation he may 

 never have seen if a collection of that formation's fossils are placed before 

 him. 



Fossils enable us to investigate conditions of climate and of life of 

 ancient times, even to the food the animal ate as in the case of specimens 

 of the Ichthyosaurus found in the Lias clay, the intestines of which show 

 half digested parts of other Ichthyosauncs it had eaten. 



As to climate, if we find a deposit containing palms, bones of elephants 

 or tigers we infer that that deposit was formed in tropical conditions, or 

 again if a deposit has remains of the reindeer, musk-ox or lemming, it 

 would be evidence of a cold climate. 



But where shall we find fossils, this is the question so often asked. In 

 the first place it is not much good looking in the vulcanic rocks such 

 as the Deccau trap, basalt, &c. round Bombay, they are not there ; we 

 must hunt for stratified rocks, some of which are wholly made up of fossil 

 shells, crinoids, &c., such as the carboniferous limestone, oolites, clays, etc. 

 Where a stratified rock is found, look at the weathered surface of the rock, 

 and owing to the fossil in most cases being harder than the rock it stands 

 out ; some clays have very perfect fossils and are easy to get out. Cutch 

 is a very hot bed for fossils, Jurassic and Tertiary, and so are most parts 

 that are not formed by volcanic action, they only want looking for. 



As a pastime, fossil hunting is one of the best, it leads you into the 

 wilds of the mountains and to the plains ; the scenery, the fresh air, the 

 change from whatever yovir business is, perhaps shut up in an office all day 

 or overworked ; it grows on you, and once taken up is never dropped again, 

 for no matter whatever part of the world you go to, you will always have 

 an interest in finding out what the rock before you contains. You may even 

 one day find something, an animal, shell, fish or plant that has never been 

 found before, there are still many such to be found, the rocks of the world 

 are far from exhausted yet. In hunting for fossils keep the different 

 fossils from each strata separate and label them at once with name (if you 

 know it) and locality if possible. When using a chisel, never point the 

 chisel towards the fossil but away from it. Don't try and trim off all the 

 rock from the fossil if you think yon may break it, one perfect fossil is 

 better than a hundred broken ones, and besides we should like to see a bit 

 of the rock too. 



F. H. S. STONE. 



Bombay, 9f^ February 1913. 



No. XXXV.— NOTES ON CUTCH AMMONITES. 

 Ill— KEERA HILL. 



Keera Hill stands on the North "Coast" of Cutch proper, overlooking 

 the great flat Runn. Its exposures range from Katrol beds down to 

 Macrocephalus, i.e., from Kimmeridge to Lower Kelloway. The hill has, 

 I believe, not been touched for 40 years : hence I was not surprised at 

 picking lip many good specimens of Ammonites — to say nothing of the 

 great quantity of other molluscs, &c,, which were to be had for nothing. 

 L'7 



