53 



and the Caspian Sea. Mr. Burnes, though he did not travel for the 

 express purpose of studying geology, carefully and faithfullj noted 

 whatever attracted his attention. In reading his account of these 

 hitherto almost unknown regions, we cannot but be struck with the 

 resemblance of their geological structure to that of Europe. The 

 central axis of the Hindoo Koosh is composed of granitic rocks, suc- 

 ceeded by various schists, conglomerates, variegated marls, lime- 

 stones and sandstones. Besides this mighty system, some portion 

 of which cannot be identified with European strata for want of fos- 

 sils, there is a vast range of salt (previously noticed by Mr, Elphin- 

 stone), of coal, and, near the mouth of the Indus, nummulitic lime- 

 stone. 



In a late number of Jameson's Journal is part of a memoir on the 

 structure of the Valley of Ovelipore* by Mr. Hardie, one of our re- 

 cently elected Fellows. 



This valley had previously been noticed by Captain Dangerfieldf; 

 but Mr. Hardie has been the first to describe a singular Indian for- 

 mation which occurs there, called Kunkur. It is rarely, if ever, stra- 

 tified ; it forms a bed, seldom exceeding a few feet thick, which 

 mantles over the irregularities of the country. It is sometimes im- 

 perfectly oolitic; at others globular, botryoidal or nodular; in some 

 places a compact limestone; in others it resembles chalk : not un- 

 frequently it contains round and angular fragments of rocks. No 

 animal or vegetable remains have been noticed in it. The author 

 carefully distinguishes Kunkur from modern tufaceous deposits, but 

 assigns to it a similar origin. 



America. — Captain Colquhoun and Mr. Burkart have presented 

 to us a specimen of native iron from Zacatecas, and memoranda 

 on this and similar masses found in Mexico. 



Captain Bayfield has communicated to us a paper on the shores 

 of the River and Gulf of St. Lawrence from the Saguenay to Cape 

 Whittle. The information contained in this memoir completes our 

 knowledge of the north coast of the St. Lawrence^; and from the pre- 

 vious labours of Mr. Green in the district of Montmorency § ; of 

 Lieutenant Ingall in the country bordering the rivers St. Maurice 

 and aux Lievres|| ; of Captain Bonny castle in Upper Canada^; of 

 Dr. Bigsby'''*, Captain Bayfield ff and Dr. Richardson :{: J, on the 

 shores of Lakes Ontario, Erie, Huron and Superior ; and of Dr. 

 Richardson in the overland expeditions to the Arctic Seas, we have a 



* The city of Ovelipore is in lat. 24° 25' N. long. 73° 44' E. 



t See Sir John Malcolm's Central India. 



X See on the country between the St. Maurice and the Saguenay, 

 Trans. Quebec Society, vol. ii. p. 216. On the Saguenay country and St. 

 Paul's Bay, ibid. vol. i. p. 79j vol. ii. p. 76. On Quebec, Proceedings Geol. 

 Soc, No. 5, p. 37. 



§ Quebec Trans, vol. i. p. 181. |1 Ibid. vol. ii. p. 7. 



IT Ibid. vol. i. p. 62. 



** Proceedings Geol. Soc. No. 3, p. 23. Trans. Geol. Soc. Series II. 

 vol. i. p. 175. Journal Royal Institution, vol. xviii. pp. 1, 228. 



tt Quebec Trans, vol. i. p. 1. XX Appendix, Expedition to Polar Seas. 



