1865.] DUNCAN ASIATIC ECHINODEEMATA. 351 



this, both an Oolitic and a Nummulitic age had been given to this 

 red Bryozoan limestone ; but Capt. Keatinge, on the strength of the 

 Peetens, contented himself with asserting it to be Cretaceous*. Un- 

 fortunately no stratigraphieal data were obtained by Capt. Xeatinge 

 and Mr. Blackwell which were of any direct value in estimating 

 the geological age of the Bagh limestone ; but Dr. Carter recog- 

 nized a similarity of arrangement between the limestone and a sub- 

 ordinate sandstone of Bagh and the strata on the coast of S.E. 

 Arabia. He, moreover, recognized the identity of the Peetens at Ras 

 Fartak and those from Baghf. 



The Arabian fossils were derived from argillaceous strata of a red 

 colour, which are superimposed conformably on a deep, coarse mica- 

 ceous sandstone, and which are succeeded by beds of White Limestone. 

 The sandstone is unfossiliferous ; but Dr. Carter asserts that the White 

 Limestone belongs to the Upper Cretaceous series J, and that it is 

 succeeded by Nummulitic beds in many places. 



The white sandstone of Bagh and the micaceous sandstone of South- 

 eastern Arabia correspond, according to Dr. Carter ; and the limestone 

 and argillaceous strata which cover these respectively are also con- 

 sidered by him to be geologically equivalent. The parallelism as 

 asserted is seen in the following Table : — 



South-eastern coast of Arabia. Bagh. 



White limestoneg 2000 ? feet. 



Eed argillaceous shales and 1 — / -^^^ argillaceous lime- 

 coloured limestones 1000 ? feet J ~ ]_ stones and clays ... 15-20feet. 



Sandstone 1700?feet = Sandstone lOOfeet. 



In concluding his remarks on these strata. Dr. Carter writes ||, 

 " On comparing, therefore, the fossils and the strata in which they 

 are found at Bagh and its neighbourhood with those on the south- 

 eastern coast of Arabia, we can come to no other conclusion, that I 

 see, than that part, at least, of the coloured strata in both localities 

 belong to the Neocomian division of the Cretaceous period. I would 

 also add here, that there is a remarkable similarity between Mr, 

 Blackwell's specimens of limestone from Bagh and those from Ten- 

 dukdera, about 60 miles below Jubbalpoor, where this gentleman 

 has also found a rich development of argillaceous iron-ore mixed 

 with limestone. The coloured strata on the south-east of Arabia 

 are also characterized by their ferruginous nature; so that at all 

 three places we get similar limestones and similar developments of 

 iron-ore, with the same kind of fossils in two, viz. at Bagh and on 

 the south-eastern coast of Arabia." 



My observations on the fossils have led me to agree with Capt. 

 Keatinge and Mr. Blackwell concerning their Cretaceous age, and to 

 admit that Dr. Carter's remarks are consistent with fact, with one 

 exception. If that able geologist had had the advantages now offered 



* Oldham, op. cit. p. 11. 



t Carter, op. cit. p. 623. \ lit supra. 



§ The only fossils I have seen from these limestones are some Echinocyami, 

 which cannot be distinguished from E. AltaviUensis, Agass. (Eocene of France). 

 II Op. cit. p. 624. 



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