Fossils from the Hindu Khoosh. 51 



The preceding notice of the principal Palgeozoic horizons in the 

 north-west corner of India may, it is hoped, be useful before 

 attempting to study General McMahon's collection in detail. 



When these fossils were first placed in my hands I had no 

 knowledge of any of the four Palaeozoic horizons of India, with the 

 exception of the last, and that only to a very slight extent. Naturally, 

 therefore, I first of all tried the Carboniferous, though I was surprised 

 at finding no species of Productus in the collection. After working 

 on this tack for some time I found that there was nothing in Indian 

 Carboniferous paljeontology to encourage me to proceed. Accordingly 

 I fell back on the Niti fauna of Lower Silurian age described by 

 Salter. This seemed to be somewhat more hopeful, but at last 

 I was driven to the conclusion that I could find nothing published 

 on Indian palaeontology which would throw any light on the 

 Chitral fossils. 



Trying nearer home, it soon became evident that there existed 

 a certain relationship between these fossils and the recognized 

 faunas of the Upper Silurian and Devonian as developed in our own 

 country. The few Corals remind me of Wenlock species, whilst 

 the Brachiopoda wear a Devonian aspect. This determination would 

 bring the assemblage nearest to the Muth-series, though perhaps 

 not actually identical with that scanty and ill-preserved fauna. As 

 confirmatory evidence the fossils of the Muth-series are said to 

 occur in an arenaceous limestone, some of the beds being of a purer 

 limestone of dark colour.^ The dark limestone corresponds very 

 well with the matrix of the Chitral fossils. Moreover, it is interesting 

 to remember that two species of CyathopJiyllum are recorded from 

 the Muth-series. 



In the case of General McMahon's collection it cannot be said 

 that the fossils are badly preserved ; they are less drawn out 

 and disfigured by pressure than many Devonian specimens from 

 Devonshire or Cornwall. Some of the specimens remind one of 

 Dudley fossils, except that the limestone is darker and probably 

 more earthy. The specimens also in most cases are fairly free from 

 matrix, and the numerous individuals of Atrypa are detached and 

 clean. The shells are in the condition of calcite with a dark 

 exterior. Unfortunately there are no good casts of interiors. The 

 conclusions both in the case of Corals and Brachiopoda are largely 

 based on external characters. 



Enumeration and Description of the Fossils. 



CORALS. 



1. Favosites cf. CRiSTATA, Blumonbach. (PI. II, Fig. 1.) 

 Favosites cristata : Brit. Foss. Cor. (Silurian), p. 260, pi. Isi, figs. 3, 4. 



This identification rests mainly on comparison with specimens 

 from the Wenlock Limestone of Dudley in my own collection. The 

 external resemblance is very striking. There is less resemblance 

 to the figures in the "British Fossil Corals." The following is the 



^ Vide supra, p. 50. 



