74 PROCEEDINGS OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



south side of the river connecting the two lakes, the Nummulites 

 were equally abundant. 



At both these localities the formations consisted of a series of 

 calcareous sandstones, of very fine grain, which pass sometimes into 

 a compact limestone, several feet in thickness : but this is partial ; 

 in general the more durable stone is confined to the uppermost strata 

 in this neighbourhood, and attains a thickness of 20 and 30 feet ; 

 beneath which are white arenaceous marls and sandstones with oohte, 

 which together are fully 1000 feet thick near Devno. 



The upper and more indurated stratum is here composed of a 

 mass of organic remains, chiefiy Nummulites, Operculince, and Orbi- 

 toideSy in all ages of growth ; with Pecten, Terebratula, and an 

 Ostrea with a very thick shell; as seen in the specimens for- 

 warded *. 



Columnar condition of the Nummulitic Rocks at Allahdyn. — Con- 

 nected with the highly fossiliferous condition of the upper existing 

 stratum of this deposit, a curious feature has resulted from the 

 manner in which the rock in some places has apparently become 

 weather-worn into vertical pillars. 



A large group of these columnar masses exists about a mile and a 

 half north of the ground occupied by the Light Division and close to 

 the upper Shumla road, see fig. 3. When I visited the camp, they 

 were generally believed to be artificial, such as relics of a rude temple 

 of some early people. Certainly a passing glance might easily lead to 

 the idea of their having been formed by man for some such purpose. 

 But a close investigation, showing their irregularity in position, 

 shape, and height, clearly indicates that they are not artificial, as 

 Col. Hamilton, of the Grenadier Guards, has already stated f . For 

 there are some partially formed in some of the rocks in the vicinity, 

 as seen in a pair that are nearly formed out of a detached mass of 

 rock over the village of Kepedjeh on the south side of the plain 

 dividing the two lakes. In this instance the accidental hardness of 

 the upper portions has hitherto retained the two columns united. 

 The resemblance of this mass of rock to a Cromlek or a Druidical 

 altar, together with the rude columnar masses scattered over the 

 country near, is naturally suggestive of their ha\ing some connexion 

 with the earlier worship of the East. They may indeed have been 

 so used, from their adaptation to the religious ideas and worship of 

 an earlier people ; but certainly they were not the erection or the 

 work of man. They are, in my opinion, natural productions, and 

 having, as such, a geological interest, I am induced to give two 

 sketches % of the group near Allahdyn and to dwell more upon 

 them. 



* For a list of the fossils accompanying this communication, see Appendix, 

 p. 82. 



t Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc. vol. xi. p. 10. 



% Fig. 3 is a reduction from the author's original sketch of the northern half of 

 the group of columns at Allahdyn; with the exception of the characteristic column 

 on the right-hand foreground of the engraving, which has been transferred from 

 the author's sketch of the southern portion of the group. 



