KHASI HILLS. 163 



rence of fossil shells in a " well- defined marine beach" at about 1,500 

 feet above the sea, out of his collection from which he had identified 

 about twenty species as identical with Parij-basin fossils. Next refer- 

 ring to the Cherra Poonjee limestone, he describes it as reposing on 

 the sandstone of the hills, anl as having aTorded him twenty-seven 

 species of shells, among which he identified Flleolus plicatws of Sower- 

 by.(a) " On this limestone rest the coal, &c."(6) In the Report of 

 the Coal and Mineral Committee greater details are given ; and in 

 discussing the question of the relative levels of the Indian coal-fields, 

 anil the causes to which these may be referred, the same author state.? 

 that the coal of Cherra Poonjee is accompanied by rocks identical in 

 nature with those found bearing a similar relative position to other 

 beds of coal of the same (coal measure) formation ; refers the great 

 thickness of sandstone which occurs under the coal and limestone, to 

 tiie old red sandstone of English Geologists ; and alluding to the similarity 

 between the lime.stone which occurs beneath the Cherra coal and the 

 limestone of Central India, proceeds to state, with reference to the 

 researches of Mr. Scott and Mr. Cracroft, that, " no chronological dis- 

 tinction had been previously established between the limestones in this 

 quarter, although the Cherra rock is distinguished as a formation 

 from the nummulite limestone, as well by means of its fossils, as 

 by the beds with which it is associated. "(c) The same author again 

 described more particularly the occurrence of these fossil shells in the 

 so-called beach, and states that in one place the echiuida which occur 

 with them {Cyrtoma, of McClelland), are found " in a greenish-grey fri- 

 able sandstone, which will probably prove to be the equivalent of the 

 green saliferous marls of the upper new red sandstone. "(cZ) Accord- 



(a) This, however, ia an oolitic fossil. 



(i) Proceedings Geological Society, London, June 12, 1837. 



(e) Report Coal Committee, 1838, p. 33. 



(d) Calcutta Journal of Natmal History, Vol. i. p. 155. 



I 



