148 BLANFOltD : GEOLOGY OP WESTERN SIND. 



chhar outlier to the south-west, around Pani Hasanwara. The plain is 



similar to that farther north ; very little rock being 1 seen, although 



Manchhar conglomerates crop out in places, especially to the westward. 



Some scattered patches of laterite may indicate the presence of the beds 



seen at Bandh Vera, but the lateritic deposits are perhaps, in part at least, 



reconsolidated beds of late origin formed of detritus derived from the 



older lateritic layers. Blocks and patches of laterite are conspicuous on 



the road from Kotri to Bhule Khan's Than a, west of Petiani. 



The upper Ranikot beds are again very well exposed in the area 



Eanikot beds near occupied by them near Jhirak and Tatta, but the 

 .Jhirak and Tatta. dipg are SQ ^^ ^^ Qnly ^ ^[ g \ ie$t por ti n of 



the group is seen at the surface. It has already been noticed that the 

 division and unconformity, conspicuously exhibited along the western 

 side of the Laid range, between the Khirthar and Ranikot beds, has 

 been replaced by perfect conformity and a tendency to a passage between 

 the two groups in the country north-west of Kotri around Lainyan (or 

 Lynyan) . Farther south this tendency increases, so much so that it is 

 very difficult indeed to draw any distinct boundary between the Khirthar 

 and Banikot beds near Jhirak and Tatta. The white Khirthar lime- 

 stones in this direction break up into thin beds alternating with calcareous 

 shales, and, towards the base, with soft marly beds of brown and buff 

 colours. The fossils are only in a few instances useful for distinguish- 

 ing the two groups, several of the commonest species being found in 

 both. 



Under Aongar Hill, a trigonometrical station on the high Khirthar 

 Eanikot beds north of ground, about 8 miles north of Jhirak, and a ■ 

 Jnirak - mile or 1 south-west of Jhuga Pir, the Ranikot 



beds, near the road from Kotri to Jhirak, consist of flaggy brown lime- 

 stones, resting on variously coloured soft silty shales, red, yellow, brown, 

 &c, and capped by buff marl. Some of the shales are ferruginous ; others 

 contain gypsum in small layers and reticulated veins. To the westward, 

 towards the hills, fragments of brown limestone with Alveolitis, and a few 

 small indistinct nummulites, are met with ; the limestone is apparently 

 ( 148 ) 



