Chap. VI.] , general structure of hills. 167 



fossils, and probably nummulites." Independently of the doubtful fossils, 

 this observation shows the wonderful constancy of the stratigraphical 

 arrangement. At the southern limit of this Himalayan area, explored 

 by Dr. Hooker, this distinguished naturalist made a discovery of great 

 interest. In Vol. I., p. 403, he describes having found in the Baisarbatti, 

 below Punkabaree, carbonaceous shales containing Trizygia and Verte- 

 braria,— fossils characteristic of the Indian coal-bearing series. These 

 shales dip at 70° to the north, and are overlaid abnormally by the 

 metamorphic clay slate of the mountains. Thus this rock bears just 

 the same stratigraphical relations to the older rocks of the Himalayas 

 as do the Sub-Himalayan strata, — a fact which complicates our spe- 

 culations not a little, when we reflect that, as far as we can at present 

 conjecture, these plant-rocks belong to some period, possibly a low one, 

 of the secondary epoch. From some other observations, recorded by 

 Dr. Hooker in the same locality, it would seem that the Sivalik series 

 is also represented in the same section. 



Generalisations on general structure and history from the observa- 

 tions I have recorded. 



The uniformity of the characters of disturbance stamped upon the 

 whole series of Himalayan rocks is certainly very striking. With the 

 exception of instances in which a local cause can be assigned, there is 

 scarcely an exception to the prevalence of a north-west-by-west direction 

 in the features of disturbance, gradually changing to an east and west 

 direction towards the eastern end of the chain. When we first attempt to 

 generalize from the broad facts of the case, this appearance of uniformity 

 almost grows into a conviction of unity, which can only be dispelled or modi- 

 fied by a closer examination of details. The area shown on our map is a very 

 partial one ; the.first inspection of it indeed suggests diversity rather than 

 uniformity. We have here, I believe, the beginning of the end ; many 



