18 GHIKSBACH: RAMKOLA AND TATAPANI C'OAL-riP^LDS. 



distinctly developed in this field. Placed side by side^ the specimens 

 with fossils from this group could not be distinguished from those of 

 the Raniganj field, but other petrological characters are somewhat differ- 

 ent, conspicuously so by the absence of coal. The Raniganj here consists 

 chiefly of white felspathic and gritty sandstones, white shales with numer- 

 ous Eaniganj fossils (plants), with thick beds of clay iron ores, ferru- 

 ginous sandstones, with nodules of iron ores and iron shales, these latter 

 well shown in the Sendur river sections. In short, whereas the Barakars 

 are distinguished by the presence of coal-seams and carbonaceous shales, 

 we find the Raniganj remarkably rich in iron ore bands, or nodules in 

 other beds, and thin bands of iron shales. 



The approximate thickness of the whole group is probably not more 



than 1,300 feet. Deposits of this horizon are 

 Thickness. , t • ^^ • i t i 



probably represented m all sections, but I have 



only mapped them as such where fossil evidence supports this view. 



Fanc/iefs. 

 Under this head I have included all the sandstones, grits, clays, and 

 L'tboioo-ical cliarac- shales which occupy the space between the Rani- 

 terof Pancbets. ganj and the typical Mahadevas, from which it is 



not always easy to distinguish them. The commonest rock of this 

 series, and which occupies a large area, both vertically and horizontally, 

 is a red clay, changing here and there into red clay shales and clayey 

 sandstone. These rocks are generally alternating with white and yellow- 

 ish hard shales, and in many sections changing into an olive-green clay^ 

 sometimes mottled both colours. It is invariably overlaid by white 

 friable sandstones, or similar red sandstones, which latter are difiicult to 

 distinguish from similar beds in the Mahadeva sandstones, — especially 

 as some beds of the former have even the brown gritty appearance of 

 the latter with ferruginous partings. At several 

 " localities I have found in the Panchet horizon a 



coarse brown or red conglomerate or grit, made up chiefly by round or 

 angular pieces of quartz, the latter sometimes attaining the size of 

 ( 146 ) 



