﻿JURASSIC 
  ROCKS 
  : 
  SRIPERMATOOR 
  AREA. 
  123 
  

  

  and 
  also 
  those 
  occurring 
  in 
  the 
  valley 
  of 
  the 
  Kullar 
  and 
  Atrampakkam 
  

   nullahs, 
  indicate 
  a 
  very 
  different 
  state 
  of 
  things 
  to 
  have 
  existed 
  during 
  

   parts 
  of 
  the 
  Kajmahal 
  period. 
  These 
  shales 
  show 
  every 
  evidence 
  of 
  

   having 
  been 
  deposited 
  in 
  perfectly 
  tranquil 
  water 
  at 
  sufficient 
  depths 
  

   probably 
  to 
  be 
  beyond 
  the 
  agitation 
  of 
  the 
  waves. 
  The 
  fragmentary 
  

   nature 
  of 
  the 
  fronds 
  and 
  leaves 
  appear 
  to 
  indicate 
  that 
  they 
  were 
  drifted 
  

   out 
  to 
  sea, 
  while 
  the 
  good 
  state 
  of 
  preservation 
  they 
  are 
  in 
  proves 
  they 
  

   must 
  have 
  been 
  torn 
  and 
  fragmentary 
  when 
  first 
  imbedded. 
  

  

  In 
  conclusion, 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  well 
  to 
  point 
  out 
  some 
  points 
  in 
  respect 
  to 
  

   which 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  small 
  contrast 
  between 
  the 
  Eajmahal 
  beds 
  of 
  the 
  Madras 
  

   area 
  and 
  other 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  Peninsula 
  of 
  India 
  and 
  those 
  of 
  Bengal 
  and 
  

   Cutch. 
  

  

  The 
  Madras 
  Rajmahal 
  beds 
  contain 
  little 
  or 
  no 
  carbonaceous 
  

   matter/* 
  while 
  in 
  other 
  beds 
  of 
  equivalent 
  age 
  in 
  Bengal 
  and 
  Cutch 
  it 
  

   occurs 
  so 
  largely 
  as 
  to 
  form 
  true 
  seams 
  of 
  coal. 
  All 
  the 
  fossil 
  plant 
  

   remains 
  found 
  in 
  the 
  Madras 
  beds 
  occur 
  either 
  as 
  mere 
  impressions 
  

   without 
  any 
  remainder 
  of 
  organic 
  matter, 
  or, 
  as 
  in 
  the 
  case 
  of 
  trees 
  and 
  

   larger 
  branches, 
  they 
  have 
  been 
  silicified, 
  not 
  carbonized. 
  

  

  * 
  Dr. 
  Hunter, 
  whose 
  borings 
  in 
  search 
  of 
  coal 
  in 
  the 
  neighbourhood 
  of 
  Sripermatoor 
  

   have 
  been 
  before 
  adverted 
  to 
  (page 
  11), 
  claims 
  in 
  a 
  letter 
  published 
  in 
  the 
  Madras 
  Mail 
  

   (early 
  in 
  1871) 
  to 
  have 
  found 
  three 
  or 
  four 
  thin 
  bands 
  (each 
  only 
  a 
  few 
  inches 
  thick) 
  of 
  car- 
  

   bonaceous 
  shale 
  associated 
  with 
  the 
  plant-shale 
  series 
  at 
  various 
  depths. 
  Not 
  the 
  faintest 
  

   trace 
  of 
  carbonaceous 
  matter 
  was 
  seen 
  by 
  me 
  in 
  any 
  of 
  the 
  rocks 
  occurring 
  in 
  the 
  sections 
  — 
  I 
  

   examined 
  most 
  carefully 
  for 
  such 
  traces. 
  Nor 
  can 
  I 
  find 
  the 
  slightest 
  reference 
  to 
  a 
  discovery 
  

   of 
  bituminous 
  shale 
  near 
  Rajah's 
  Choultry 
  by 
  Dr. 
  Benza 
  in 
  his 
  paper 
  on 
  the 
  geology 
  of 
  

   Madras 
  in 
  the 
  Madras 
  Literary 
  Society's 
  Journal 
  (see 
  page 
  6), 
  alluded 
  to 
  by 
  Dr. 
  Hunter 
  in 
  

   the 
  letter 
  above 
  referred 
  to. 
  Unfortunately 
  I 
  was 
  unaware 
  of 
  Dr. 
  Hunter's 
  borings 
  till 
  

   long 
  after 
  completing 
  the 
  survey 
  of 
  the 
  Madras 
  area, 
  so 
  could 
  not 
  make 
  any 
  special 
  

   enquiries 
  into 
  his 
  results, 
  a 
  detailed 
  account 
  of 
  which 
  I 
  have 
  moreover 
  been 
  unable 
  to 
  

   obtain 
  from 
  him. 
  

  

  Though 
  perfectly 
  assured 
  of 
  the 
  bond 
  fides 
  of 
  Dr. 
  Hunter's 
  statements, 
  I 
  cannot 
  but 
  

   be 
  extremely 
  sceptical 
  of 
  the 
  correctness 
  of 
  his 
  determination 
  of 
  the 
  true 
  nature 
  of 
  any- 
  

   thing 
  but 
  the 
  very 
  commonest 
  rocks. 
  

  

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  123 
  ) 
  

  

  