220 NILGHIRI HTLT.S. 



The foliation, wherever seen, is tolerably constant iu its direction 

 over the whole of the Neelgherries ; this direction 



Foliation. approximately coinciding with that of the great 



Southern escarpment of the Neelgherries, the Bhovani river, the 

 Eastern Ghats, and many of the principal ridges on the surface of the 

 plateau, especially those to the south of Ootakamund. Its prevailing strike 



is between N. K, S. W. and E. N. E., W. S. W., the 



Its strike. . 



principal exceptions to which occur to the North 



East of Ootakamund in the neighbourhood of Daversolabetta, where the 



foliation is somewhat variable ; but even these variations are very local. 



The foliation is but rarely strongly marked, and never on the 



surface of the hills assumes anything approaching 

 maAed ralL hin™°^'^ to a schistose character. It is most distinct in the 



neighbourhood of Kotergherry. On descending 

 the Coonoor Ghat a striking difference is perceptible ' in the structure 



of the rocks. The foliation becomes strongly 



But coarsely so on the 



plains. and even coarsely marked, and in the neigh- 



bourhood of Matepolliam a coarse hornblende schist composed of thick 

 alternating laminae of quartz and hornblende is seen protruding from 

 the ground in large slabs, resembling the old tombstones in a country 

 churchyard. Passing Southwards towards Coimbatoor, the rock becomes 

 more compact, the foliation still being very distinct, and such is the pre- 

 vailing character over the whole of the low coimtry between the Neel- 

 gherries and the Shevaroy Hills. 



It is in the very hornblendic variety of the Gneiss, such as prevails 

 „,,-,■ • , J over the North -Western portion of the Neelgher- 



Hornblendic vanety of r a 



*^"s'55' ries, that the foliation is the least marked. In 



this, which is a hard tough black rock, breaking with an even fracture, 



and consisting of an intimate intermixture of quartz and hornblende 



with some garnets, but little trace of foliation 

 Indistinctly foliated. . . 



is usually perceptible, especially on a Ireshly 



