182 FOOTE : SOUTH MAHRATTA COUNTRY. 



Yellurgarh, and to the north-west of Murgod. At Bavihal, two miles 

 Aberrant variety of ^orth of Sampgaon,^ an unusual variety of trap 

 ^P' occurs below the blocky basaltic flow which forms 



the base generally in that quarter. This exceptional variety differs from 

 any other flow belonging to the Deccan trap series in being much more 

 crystalline in texture^ and resembling far more a highly hornblendic 

 diorite of gneissic age. In color it is intensely black or greenish black. 

 It is certainly unconformable to the gneissic rocks exposed a little distance 

 to the souths and as far as can be seen, for the great spread of cotton soil 

 is conformable to the overlying basaltic flow, from which it is separated 

 by a thin bed of boliferous clay. The upper part of the intermediate bed 

 consists of pure bright-red bole, 2 to 3 inches thick, which shows very dis- 

 tinct prismatic columnar cleavage. 



Typical basalt occurs in innumerable places, of which it will suffice 



to name one, where it is largely quarried, namely. 

 Basalt, typical. n r-\ 



on the slopes of " One Tree Hil?^ north of Belgaum. 

 It is a fine close-grained brownish black stone, with a few small vesicular 

 cavities. 



A variety, which is porphyritic, from enclosing rather large crystals 



of green glassy -looking olivine, was observed on the 

 Porphyritic variety. 



high hill forming the north-eastern extremity of the 



Yellurgarh ridge, and also further east in the basaltic plateau lying south 



of Batkurki (S. W. of Kaladgi). A similar rock, but containing 



glassy felspar, instead of olivine crystals, is mentioned by Mr. Blanford 



as occurring in the northern and north-eastern parts of the great trap 



area. The main part of the great spur of trap running into the centre 



of the Kaladgi basin is basaltic. A few unimportant amygdaloid beds 



occur here and there, one of which, between Batkurki and Dadiberi (Dadee- 



beiree), may be mentioned because of the exceeding minuteness of the 



* Sampgaon is the chief place of the taluq of that name, and lies 5 miles N. of the 

 Malprabha and 16 miles E. S. E. of Belgaum. 



( 1«3 ) 



