236 FOOTE : SOUTH MAHRATTA COUNTEY, 



gravels rest on the various older formations forming the bottom and 

 sides of the old valley^ viz., the gneiss, quartzites, Deccan trap and 

 intertrappean beds. The gravel is in great part sub-angular and had 

 evidently not been carried any very great distance ; it contains pebbles 

 of all the older rocks occurring in the neighbourhood. No organic 

 remains were seen in the gravels or loam. 



It was pointed out at the beginning of this chapter that the river 

 alluvia consist very largely of regur or cotton 

 soil, partly washed up by the river action, and part- 

 ly washed down by rain action from higher grounds. In many cases 

 this " reguroid " alluvium is hard to distinguish, or quite undistinguish- 

 able, from the true regur, as it in great measure assumes the same 

 character if broken up by innumerable sun-cracks, by which, in time, the 

 laminated structure due to its sedimentary origin is completely lost. 



The black regur-like alluvium occurring in the upper flat of the 

 Markandeya river and in the Belgaum nullah flat contains much nodular 

 kunkur, which is collected by rather extensive excavation as a material 

 for lime -burning. 



In some instances the black alluvium is largely mixed with exceed- 

 ingly fine sand, which, although not sufficient to 



Black silty alluvium. ^ , , • ^ -, , ro . i • 



afi^ect the colour appreciably, yet suffices to deprive 

 the alluvial deposit of the usual tenacious clayey character, so that when 

 dry it is friable and dusty, instead o£ tough and lumpy. Such dry 

 silty alluvium occurs in considerable quantity in some parts of the 

 Krishna, as, for example, along the reach of the river below Korur, nine 

 miles east of Sorapur. 



The black " reguroid " alluvium is the youngest and uppermost, 



and, as a rule, overlies the various clays, sands and 

 Gravel and sand. ^ • ,^ ^ , n i • 



gravels exposed m the lower parts ot the river 



banks. 



( 236 ) 



