Chap. IV. § 1.] the damuda series. 39 



believing them to be such. But, although frequently searched, no im- 

 pressions have been found sufficiently definite to prove their origin. 

 They are well seen on the left bank of the Barakar, above Ramnagar, 

 Mr. Hislop has noticed the occurrence of similar doubtful marks in 

 Nagpur upon beds probably corresponding to the Talchir.* 



Chapter IV. — Damuda Gr 



oujy. 



Resting upon the Talchir rocks on the West, and upon the meta- 



morphic rocks in the East, (and, therefore, un- 



Great importance. 



conformable m the Raniganj field, as elsewhere, 



upon the first-named beds,) occurs the most important group of the 



basin. In thickness, in the area covered, and in economic value, the 



Damuda group greatly exceeds all the others ; to it are confined all the 



deposits of coal and seams of ironstone, and although fossil remains of 



greater interest have been found in a higher group, those from the beds 



now to be described have been longer known, and are far more abundant. 



This group of rocks attains a great thickness in the Raniganj field, 



and it has already been remarked that a distinction exists between the 



upper and lower portion. In proceeding from the base at the Northern 



boundary, the first beds met with are coarse, white sandstones, and 



frequently conglomerates. "With these are asso- 

 Lowest beds. 



ciated coarse micaceous shaley sandstone, or sandy 



shale of dark-brown and purple colors, and seams of coal frequently of 

 great thickness, some measuring 30 feet in thickness or even more. 

 These seams are irregular both in thickness and quality ; they fre- 

 quently disappear entirely, or pass into shale or even sandstone within 



Quart. Jour., Geol. Soc, London, Vol. XI., page 371. 



