a THAI'S AND INTERTRAPPEAN BEDS 



be given ; still the observations made in the course of the survey have 

 added to our knowledge of them, despite the excellent previous descrip- 

 tions of Dangerfield^; Sykesf, MalcolmsonJ, Newbold§, Carter||, Hislopl, 

 J. Gr. Medlicott"^^; and others, and these additions comprise points 

 connected with both the physical character of the rocks and their 

 geological age. 



The previous explorers to whom I have "referred have well described 

 the most striking features of the extraordinary tract of country occupied 

 by the traps. The vast area covered by the volcanic formations, the 

 enormous accumulation of horizontal or nearly horizontal beds of basaltic 

 rock, the distinct stratification, the massive flat topped hills which 

 are the result of these characters, the precipitous scarps, (the origin of 

 which however has generally, I think, been incorrectly attributed to 

 other causes than the real one, aqueous denudation,) the absence of craters, 

 the abundance of zeolites and other minerals, and the presence, locally, 

 of interstratified beds, calcareous or siliceous, containing freshwater fossils, 

 have all been noted again and again. I shall therefore attempt no 

 general description of the volcanic area, but pass on to the consideration 

 of some of its principal characters. 



2, Area covered hy traps. — First, as regards extent, the traps stretch 

 uninterruptedly from near Belgaum (lat. 15° 5^0 N.) to Goona (lat. 

 24° 30' N.), and from Bombay (long. 72° 50' E.) to Umurkuntuk 

 (long. 81° 50' E.). This is, however, by no means the whole of their 



* Sir J. Malcolm, Memoir of Central India, Vol. 11, p. 313, 1823. 

 t Geological Transactions, Ser. 2, Vol. IV., p. 409, 1833. 

 X Id. Vol. V, p. 537, 1837. 



§ Jour. Roy. As. Soc , London, Vol. IX, p. 20, 1848. 

 II Jour, of the Bombay Br. Koy. As. Soc, Vol. V, p. 25r), &c. 1853. 

 •j[ Quar. Jour. Geol. Soc. of London, Vol. XI, p. 356, 1854. 

 ** Memoirs Geol. Surv, India, Vol. II, p. 217, 1860. 

 ( 138) 



