THE PANCHET SERIES. 35 



Locally the name of Pali sandstones was g-iveu in the Sone or Rewa 

 country, and that of the Kamthi rocks in the Nagpur district. The 

 identity of the Panchets, as a series, with the Kamthls is, however, 

 still a point not quite settled, although it is well known that the red 

 clays and shales which are so characteristic of the former series, have 

 been met with in great force along the Wardha and Pranhita rivers, 

 associated with the sandstones and other beds of the Kamthis. As I 

 know nothing of the Panchet series from personal inspection, beyond 

 the limits of the Damiida valley, I shall confine myself to this area. 

 It was here that the age of this series was first determined ; and it 

 was here that its exact relation to the underlying coal bearing beds was 

 first made out. 



Stratigraphically there is little evidence to show unconformity 

 between the Damudas and Panchets, excepting overlap. Wherever 

 there are sections we find the two series conformable as to angle of dip. 

 It is only when we trace them throughout the country, that we notice 

 the disappearance of certain sets of beds. 



In the mineral character of the typical rocks, there is a great 

 contrast between the two series. The ferruginous element enters largely 

 into the composition of the Panchet strata. 



When we examine the palseontological evidence, we find that there 

 is a considerable change in the fossil remains, such as plants ; and that 

 a reptilian fauna and a small entomostracous crustacean {Ustkeria) 

 appear for the first time. 



The sub-division of the series in the Raniganj field was based upon 

 petrological and mineralogical diiferences, but researches in the western 

 fields have proved that the unconformity of overlap is again repeated. 

 In the Latiahar basin the lower group almost entirely disappears, while 

 the upper group becomes very largely developed. 



The area covered by the Panchets is larger in the Karanpura than 

 in any other field of the Damuda valley, being 90 square miles. 



( 319 ) 



