638 



ME. G. ATTWOOD ON ATJEIFEEOUS TEACTS OF 



are found, which, in places, 

 has weathered and decaj-ed, 

 forming a sort of white plastic 

 clay *. 



The schistose gneiss is fol- 

 lowed by a hard, coarse-grained 

 gneiss, which forms the ele- 

 vated portions of the Melkote 

 hill- or mountain-range (3550 

 feet above sea-level at Madras), 

 and has a general strike of 

 north 20° east, dipping at an 

 angle of about 40° to the west. 



Large blocks of gneiss, from 10 

 to 50 feet in length, from 2 to 8 

 feet in thickness, and from 5 to 

 20 feet in width, are seen in great 

 numbers on both sides and on the 

 summit of the hill, from which 

 they have become detached in 

 course of time by atmospheric 

 influences and probably by 

 pressure. The ancient temple 

 of JS'arasimha stands on the 

 summit of the hill, and on the 

 edge of what may be called an 

 escarpment. In places the 

 gneiss has a granitoid appear- 

 ance ; but, owing to the rock 

 in most cases showing foliation, 

 the name of gneiss has been 

 adhered to. Following the 

 gneiss, a band of schistose 

 gneiss comes in, which is re- 

 placed by a wide band of mica- 

 schist, dipping at about the 

 same angle as the gneiss. The 

 mica-schist is followed by a 

 band of compact hornblende- 

 schist, dipping the reverse way, 

 at an angle of about 40° to 

 the east, but having the same 

 general strike as the gneiss 



* The white clay is called by the 

 natives " nama " and is used bj' all 

 the Sri Vaishnavas of that region for 

 painting the sectarian mark (Brah- 

 man) on their foreheads, and some 

 of it is also sent for the same pur- 

 pose to Kasi and Benares. 



