302 Capt. Grant on the Geology of Cutch. 



Characteristic Fossils. — The most characteristic fossils of this formation, next to the Nummu- 

 h'tes and Fasciolites, are Echini, Galerites, Ciypeasters, and Spatangi. The species of Echini 

 and Galerites are all new. A Clypeaster resembles C affinis of the sandy marl of Brabant ; and 

 a Spatangus, the iS*. Bucklandii of the marly chalk of Westphalia ; while another species agrees 

 with the Spatangus acuminatus of the tertiary deposits of Dusseldorf. The other fossils consist 

 of species of Tellina, Astarte, Cardium, Area, Pectunculus, Pecten, Nucula, Ostrea, Cerithium, 

 Turbinellus, Globulus, and Seraphe. (See Plate XXIV,) The Turbinella abounds and is often 

 very large. In the bed of the river above described, I found large blocks composed entirely of 

 small oysters, similar to Ostrea Flabellulum, but more regularly and finely striated. 



6. Tertiary Strata. 



I have called all that portion of the province tertiary which is composed of 

 rocks containing fossils belonging to this period. It consists principally of a 

 hard argillaceous grit, interspersed with fossil shells, and covered by beds of 

 pebbles or conglomerate. Some portions of this conglomerate are very coarse, 

 and constituted of rolled or boulder stones loosely connected ; whilst other 

 portions are sufficiently indurated to be used as a building stone. A calca- 

 reous grit, which soils the fingers like chalk, also occurs in patches, and con- 

 tains innumerable small shells. It is used for building, and is burnt for lime. 

 The beds are horizontal, and the surface of the country is generally covered 

 with a fine rich soil. 



At the village of Soomrow, about ten miles north-east of the fort and harbour 

 of Juckow, on the south-western coast, (see Map,) the banks of a broad river- 

 bed are composed partly of a loose gravelly soil, and partly of a very hard, com- 

 pact, calcareous rock, full of shells, and burnt for lime ; and below this rock 

 is a coralline limestone. The river-bed, in some places, is nearly a mile across, 

 the banks being cut into ledges or steps, whilst numerous small hillocks, or 

 high banks of gravel and clay, stand isolated in its middle. Only a small stream 

 now winds from shore to shore. One part of the northern bank rises into a 

 small hill, the surface of which is composed of the same hard, compact, shelly 

 rock as that which is found even with the bed of the river. For some di- 

 stance north of this spot, the ground is also high, and cut into innumerable 

 ravines; and there are breaks in the surface, as well as circular hollows, or 

 large, deep pits. The natives have a tradition, that an earthquake occurred 

 at this spot, some centuries since, during a severe battle between the Sindians 

 and the natives of Cutch. The raised position of the shelly rock, and the pe- 

 culiarly rent and broken appearance of the ground, indicate some convulsive 

 movement; and it should be noticed, that, as all the beds are horizontal, those 

 forming the hill cannot be an unbroken continuation of those in the banks of 

 the river. 



