1855.] HISLOP UMRET COAL. 561 



2. Argillaceous shales, green, red, blue, and more rarely wliite, in 

 some localities alternating with argillaceous limestone. Contains the 

 traces of reptiles and worms. Thickness about Nagpur 80 feet, 

 though much greater in the Bhandara district to the fast. 



3. Limestone, sometimes compact, but often crystalline and dolo- 

 mitic. Near Nagpur 100 feet, at Moodelaity 310 feet thick. 



From the above arrangement of the laminated series, it will be 

 seen there is a difficulty in disposing of the limestone. Beds of it 

 in some districts of India alternate with our No. 2, and even with 

 No. 1. At Moodelait}', where the latter appears to be wanting, the 

 whole mass of it is said to overlie the argillaceous shales. I have 

 followed the order as it is within this territory, where the limestone 

 is most frequently crystalline, while the red shale, lying above it, has 

 suifered no change from heat. This I am disposed to consider the 

 typical order of succession among our "Freshwater Oolites." At 

 Kotii, though the calcareous and bituminous beds are interstratified to* 

 a certain extent, yet the greater part of the latter are found above, and 

 of the former below. Newbold, who gives us the superposition at 

 Moodelaity, embodies his views of the order of stratification through- 

 out Southern India in these words : — *'The limestone occupies, with 

 few exceptions, the lowest position in the sections afforded by the 

 great lines of drainage of these tracts, and in places where the super- 

 incumbent strata have been stripped off. Next in order of superpo- 

 sition come calcareous shales, mingled with much argillaceous matter, 

 then argillaceous shales and slates, sandstone, siliceous and arenaceous 

 schists, quartzose rock, and sandstone conglomerate*." In some parts 

 of Bundlekhand the limestone occupies a high position : but, as we 

 have had occasion to notice before, at Bagin the bituminous shale 

 lies above the greater part of it. In the coal-fields of Bengal cal- 

 careous strata appear to be wholly wanting. 



To complete the catalogue of our Indian Jurassic Formation, I 

 might liere add — 



III. Lower Sandstone Series, 



This is developed at INIoodelaity and in Bundlekhand, and has 

 received from Dr. Carter the name of the "Tara Sandstone ; " but, 

 as it does not occur within our area, except perhaps in the form of 

 gneiss, mica-schist, and other metamorphic rocks, underlying our 

 crystallized limestone, I forbear to enter on the consideration of it 

 at present. 



[Note. — The age of the Bengal Coal-fields is treated of by Prof. 

 Oldham, Journ. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, No. 6, 1854, p. ()19; Edinb. 

 New Phil. Journ. New Ser. vol. ii. p. 210; and by Dr. Carter, 

 * Summary of the Geology of India,' p. 41 . — Ed.] 



* Roy. Asiat. Soc. Journ. vol. viii. p. 160. 



