﻿GENERAL 
  STRATIGRAPHY. 
  37 
  

  

  the 
  probability 
  seems 
  to 
  be, 
  that 
  on 
  this 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  range, 
  the 
  Axial 
  beds 
  

   form 
  a 
  natural 
  boundary 
  for 
  the 
  newer 
  groups 
  resting 
  on 
  them. 
  

  

  On 
  the 
  Eastern 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  range, 
  however, 
  the 
  case 
  seems 
  very 
  

   different. 
  The 
  beds 
  along 
  the 
  Axial 
  boundary 
  are 
  tilted 
  up 
  at 
  a 
  high 
  

   angle, 
  and 
  subjected 
  to 
  great 
  disturbance 
  and 
  pressure 
  ; 
  the 
  beds 
  in 
  

   contact 
  with 
  the 
  Axial 
  group 
  being 
  presumedly 
  Nummulitics. 
  The 
  only 
  

   supposition, 
  therefore, 
  which 
  seems 
  to 
  accord 
  with 
  the 
  above 
  fact 
  is, 
  that 
  

   the 
  Axial 
  beds 
  form 
  a 
  narrow 
  wedge 
  possessing 
  a 
  natural 
  boundary 
  on 
  

   the 
  West, 
  on 
  which 
  side 
  a 
  great 
  thickness 
  of 
  Cretaceous 
  strata 
  is 
  seen 
  to 
  

   intervene 
  between 
  them 
  and 
  the 
  Eocene 
  rocks 
  ; 
  whilst 
  on 
  the 
  East 
  the 
  Axial 
  

   group 
  is 
  faulted 
  against 
  the 
  Eocene 
  group, 
  to 
  the 
  exclusion 
  thereby 
  of 
  the 
  

   Cretaceous 
  series. 
  This 
  fault 
  attains 
  its 
  maximum 
  throw 
  (the 
  upthrow 
  is 
  

   to 
  the 
  West, 
  downthrow 
  to 
  the 
  East) 
  at 
  the 
  frontier, 
  from 
  which 
  it 
  

   gradually 
  dies 
  out 
  to 
  the 
  South, 
  where 
  by 
  its 
  so 
  doing 
  the 
  Axial 
  beds 
  dis-. 
  

   appear 
  beneath 
  the 
  newer 
  groups 
  finally 
  in 
  that 
  quarter, 
  and 
  are 
  no 
  more 
  

   seen. 
  

  

  If 
  this 
  is 
  not 
  the 
  relation 
  of 
  the 
  two 
  groups, 
  and 
  if 
  no 
  fault 
  is 
  

   interposed 
  between 
  them, 
  then 
  the 
  whole 
  of 
  the 
  beds 
  given 
  as 
  Num- 
  

   mulitic 
  in 
  the 
  Hlowah 
  section 
  must 
  belong 
  to 
  the 
  Cretaceous 
  period, 
  and 
  

   represent 
  the 
  bottom 
  beds 
  of 
  that 
  group 
  ; 
  but 
  I 
  do 
  not 
  think 
  that 
  this 
  

   is 
  the 
  case, 
  and 
  merely 
  state 
  it 
  as 
  an 
  alternative 
  view, 
  which 
  in 
  total 
  

   default 
  of 
  fossil 
  evidence 
  throughout 
  the 
  beds 
  in 
  question, 
  it 
  is 
  as 
  well 
  

   to 
  bear 
  in 
  mind. 
  An 
  argument 
  against 
  it, 
  is 
  moreover 
  in 
  the 
  occurrence 
  

   not 
  far 
  from 
  the 
  spot 
  of 
  a 
  mass 
  of 
  Nummulitic 
  limestone 
  close 
  to 
  the 
  

   Axial 
  boundary. 
  Now, 
  if 
  the 
  boundary 
  is 
  not 
  a 
  fault, 
  there 
  must 
  be 
  

   prodigious 
  unconformity 
  between 
  the 
  Nummulite 
  limestone 
  and 
  the 
  beds 
  

   whereon 
  it 
  rests 
  ; 
  but 
  no 
  such 
  unconformity 
  in 
  the 
  sequence 
  of 
  beds 
  

   wherein 
  the 
  Nummulite 
  limestone 
  appears 
  as 
  an 
  integral 
  member, 
  is 
  

   elsewhere 
  suggested 
  by 
  any 
  sections 
  wherein 
  the 
  relation 
  of 
  that 
  rock 
  

   to 
  the 
  beds 
  around 
  it 
  is 
  seen. 
  In 
  using 
  above 
  the 
  term 
  ' 
  alternative', 
  

   I 
  of 
  course 
  dismiss 
  the 
  idea 
  that 
  the 
  great 
  thickness 
  of 
  Cretaceous 
  

  

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