Br. Feistmantel — The Gondwana Series of India, 483 



have been found identical/ and which contain abundant remains of 

 terrestrial animals, ought also to be placed here. 



2. The lower portion of the Gondwana Series contains : 



a. The Panchet Group, as it is best known, in the Eaniganj field,^ 

 with its flora ^ and terrestrial fauna.* 



h. The Damuda Series, stratigraphically separated again in three 

 subdivisions (Kamthi or Raniganj Group — Iron Shales — and Bara- 

 kur Group), which, however, palseontologically cannot be distin- 

 guished,^ as the same fossils are found in them throughout. 



The Damuda Series is the most largely developed in Peninsular 

 India, and has only been found in one place in the Himalayan region 

 (in Sikkim). 



We find these rocks in the Rajraahal Hills (west side), in the 

 Raniganj (or B-urdwan) Coal-field, in the Kurhurbari, Deoghur, 

 etc., Coal-fields; near Cuttack (Orissa), in the Satpura Basin, Ner- 

 bndda Yalley, in the Nagpur District, in the Chanda District (Wur- 

 dha Coal-field), and through the whole Godavari District. This 

 Series is marked by a Flora only, which I could very easily identify 

 with an European one. 



c. The Talchir Group of the Survey classification I consider not 

 far distant from the Lower Damuda beds,^ which they generally 

 accompany. 



I. Fossil Bemains of the JJjpjper Portion of the Gondrvana Sevies. 



While the Jabalpur Group contains a Flora, only lately found 

 associated with some terrestrial animal fossils,'^ the Flora of Kachh 

 occurs to a great extent in the highest marine fossil-bearing beds, 

 also partly in a lower horizon^ (near Nurha) ; but in all these three 

 districts, in the Jabalpur Group, in the upper and lower horizon in 

 Kachh, the Flora (and the terrestrial animal fossils) correspond so 

 closely that I could not make any distinction in their age. 



a. The lowest beds in Kachh abound in Cephalopoda and other 

 MoUusca, generally speaking, of Middle Jurassic age. The Cephalo- 

 poda have been already described by Dr. Waagen, the other Mol- 

 luscs yet await examination and description. 



Amongst these Middle Jurassic Marine beds of Nurha,^ the Flora 

 of Kachh appeared first, and is represented by the following species : 

 Alethopteris Whitby ensis, Gopp. ; Sphenopteris arguta, L. & H. ; 

 Otozamites contiguus, Fstm. ; and Araucarites Kachensis, Fstm. 

 (near Araucar. Fhillipsi, Carr.). 



So far the age of the Flora is established ; but it continued to live 

 possessing the same character, while younger animal forms appeared. 



1 T. W. Hughes, Eec. Geol. Surv. India, vol. ix. No. 3,. p. 86. 



2 W. T. Blanford, Mem. Geol. Surv. India, vol. iii. 



3 Feistmantel, Eec. Geol. Surv. India, vol. ix. No. 3, pp. 65-67. 



4 Huxley, Pal. Indica, 1865 (4, 1). 



° Eec. Geol. Surv. India, vol. ix. No. 3, p. 68. 



fi Ibid. vol. ix. No. 3, pp. 77-79. 



"' Hughes, Eec. Geol. .Surv India, vol. ix. No. 3. 



^ Wynne, Geology of Kachh, Mem. Geol. Surv. India, vol. ix. pt. 1. 



^ North-west of Kachh, 



