28 Dr. Verchere on the Geology of Kashmir, [No. 1, 



splintery. Shells fewer, nummulites small, but very abundant, 

 especially the N. variolaria, whilst the flat and irregular N. 2>ushi 

 and N. laevigata, so abundant in beds 4 and 6, are not to be found 

 here, or are at least rare. A nnmmulite about the size of the N. pushi, 

 but thicker, is, however, found pretty abundantly, though not in 

 swarms like the N. variolaria. A ribbed cardita is the only bivalve 

 which appears tolerably abundant. 



67. Resting on the nummulitic formation of the Salt Range are 

 thick beds of Miocene sandstone, clay and conglomerate. I have 

 described in chapter I. how these sandstones form a great plateau 

 between the Salt Range and the foot of the Maree Hill, and indicated 

 that thay may be considered as the upper Miocene Bed, whilst the 

 Maree Hills and the whole of the mountains between the Jheelum 

 and the Pir Punjal chain are to be regarded as lower Miocene. The 

 upper bed is rich in mammalian fossils, and is identical to the 

 Sewalik formation. The lower bed is devoid of fossils,* containing 

 only a few debris of plants, rootlets, small stems aud occasionally 

 small niduses of lignite. The upper Miocene has probably been a 

 great deal denuded ; remains of the bed are, however, to be seen in 

 the valley of Poonch ; they are there rich in very well preserved 

 fossils, teeth of elephants being common and very perfect. 



68. The sandstones and conglomerates just mentioned form a 

 great belt from the E. N. E. to the W. S. W. (see Map) and to the 

 north of it appears another belt, having a similar direction and com- 

 posed of nummulitic limestone and slate. It begins in Hazara in 

 Lat. 34°, and forms all the superficial covering of the Hazara moun- 

 tains as far as the Sirun river and as high north as Mausera, being about 

 thirty miles in width as the crow flies. It proceeds from N. E. to S. W. 

 towards Attock, keeping the same width and extending in that 

 district from the Indus to Janika Serai. Crossing the Indus, it forms 

 the whole of the Akora Kuttuck and Afreedee hills between Peshawur 

 and Kohat, extending about sixteen miles south of Kohat. It has 

 been followed as far as longitude E. 70°. The beds of this nummu- 

 litic formation have a general dip to the N. W. A similar 



* It is said that one or two bones have been fouud in the lower Miocene, but 

 this is doubtful ; if they exist, they are at any rate very rare. Mr. Medlicott 

 has pointed out a non-conformity between the lower and upper Miocene j he 

 makes three beds of the formation. 



