LOFTUS TURKO-PERSIAN FRONTIER. 277 



marls and fissile clays, similar to those east of Tang-i-Kha- 

 show (p. 274). 



From this point the country assumes a totally different aspect. 

 The rich foliage of the oak ceases, and scarcely a blade of vegetation 

 exists further to the east of this section. The blue marls are under- 

 laid by 



10. (ib.) Cream-coloured limestone, splitting up in very thin 

 layers ; sometimes crystalline and sonorous, arenaceous, and 

 traversed by veins of white and coloured quartz. 



Although fossils are entirely absent in this limestone, as well as in 

 the overlying blue marls, there is every reason to believe that these 

 deposits are, from circumstances hereafter to be noticed, referable to 

 the Cretaceous age, and are conformably overlaid by the Nummuhtic 

 rocks. 



Thus far across the section the whole of the beds have a constant 

 dip to the S.W., at an angle of about 15° or 20°, but in advancing 

 over the cream-coloured limestone the beds gradually become hori- 

 zontal, and at the village of Gawarah (situated on the summit of a 

 low anticlinal ridge) the beds take an opposite dip, and to the N.E. 

 are overlaid by blue marls, which rise in contortions up the slope of 

 the Kalah KazI range. 



This range separates the irregular valley or plain of Gawarah from 

 that of Mahidesht, and its summit is capped by horizontal beds of 

 the same grey, compact, crystalline, arenaceous limestone (3 ff), 

 which occur in the same position at Kiih-i-Buzzahu ; the underlying 

 red marls of the latter locality being, however, entirely absent. This 

 limestone is fossiliferous, but so hard as to defy all attempts to 

 extract its contents, and I was consequently unable to procure any 

 for comparison. Small Corals were abundant, with casts of shells 

 apparently of the same species as from the bed No. 6 at Kirrind 

 (see below). No Nummulites nor AlveolincB, however, were noticed. 



The blue marls, after a good deal of contortion up the slopes, pass 

 horizontally at the summit under the limestone (No. 7, ^ g) which 

 rests apparently conformably on them. 



The rocks of this formation do not appear again to the east of 

 Kalah Kazi. 



The number of fossils procured from the bed No. 6 of the Kirrind 

 limestone (fig. 9, 3/) is between 70 and 80 species. This bed does 

 not exceed 30 feet in thickness. The lower portion being more 

 argillaceous than the upper, the fossils, chiefly Num. Biaritzensis 

 and Alveolina subpyrenaictty are easily detached. 



The fossils are 



Clione, 2 sp. Spines of Cidaris. 



Several undetermined Zoophyta. Temnopleurus. 



Orbitoides dispansus, Sow. sp. Conoclypleus Flemingii, D'Arch. 



Nummulites Biaritzensis, B'Jrch. Spatangus obliquatus ?, Sow. 



Operculina granulosa ?, Leym. Hemiaster and Schizaster. 



Alveolina subpyrenaica, Leym. Teredo, in wood ?, 2 sp. 



