428 Correspondence — Mr. A. B. Wynne. 



cos-iEassiFonrsrnDiEisrGZB 



EECENT DISCOVERIES IN THE SALT EANGE OF THE PUNJAB. 



Sir, — Having already trespassed upon your space with regard to 

 this subject, I beg leave to add a few necessary words, because the 

 discoveries alread}'^ noticed (Geol. Mag. March and May, 1886) have 

 since extended to further recognition, by Dr. Warth and Mr. E. D. 

 Oldham, of the continuation of the boulder beds of the original 

 " Olive Group " westwards — these being identified by their Conularia- 

 containing pebble layer in a position entirely different from that 

 which my own acquaintance with the Eange would have led me to 

 expect. 



My contention has been that the boulder beds with the Coniilaria 

 layer in the east of tlie Eange, occupying a position immediately 

 beneath the Eocene limestone, occupied a different horizon from that 

 of other boulder beds of somewhat similar and somewhat different 

 character, in the west of the Range, which had their place with the 

 lowest members of the series amongst Silurian or other old Paleeozoic 

 rocks. 



The recent discovery of the same ConuJaria-lajer underlying a 

 group of sandstones, next below the Carboniferous Limestone, must 

 modify my previous views, and I feel the more inclined to abandon 

 the contention above stated, were it even to involve identification of 

 the eastern and western boulder-beds as upon one and the same 

 horizon, in consequence of the probability that a coincident uncon- 

 formity, till quite lately undetected, intervenes between these boulder 

 beds and the older groups of the Eange, its place being traceable by 

 means of the boulder-beds with Conularia pebbles. 



Without the evidence of the subsequently-discovered fossiliferous 

 layer, or that of the associated discordance, the extension of a part of 

 tlie original " Olive Group " westwards at the higher level appears 

 to have been taken by me as representative of the whole, there being 

 another dark-coloured zone amongst the lower groups, to which soft 

 dark rocks could be referred when low down in the series. 



The correction which it is expected will now be applied to previous 

 classifications of the Salt Eange rocks is of great interest in con- 

 nexion with the geology of the Punjab, and I refer to it, so far as 

 my own published views to the contrary are concerned, gladly 

 accepting new light thrown upon the subject from reliable sources, 

 but as far as possible refraining from forestalling the full announce- 

 ment of details to be looked for from those who have added these 

 important discoveries to our knowledge of the Salt Eange series, a 

 series of such complexity that additional facts of detail cropping up 

 here or there might almost have been anticipated. A. B. Wynne. 



June lOih, 1887. 



P.S. — Since writing the above I have seen Dr. Warth's account of 

 his discovery alluded to (Eecords Geol. Surv. lud. vol. xx. pt. 2, 

 p. 117), and find therein much with which I can agree. 



