ALCYONARIA OF SIND. 7 



of the beds, consists of soft sandstones, shales, and clays, often richly coloured and 

 variegated with brown and red tints. 



" Gypsum is of frequent occurrence j some of the shales are highly carbonaceous ; 

 and in one instance a bed of coal (or lignite) nearly 6 feet thick was found, and a 

 considerable quantity of the mineral extracted. The quality was, however, poor ; and 

 from the quantity of iron-pyrites present, the coal decomposed rapidly, and was liable 

 to spontaneous combustion when exposed, whilst the deposit was found to be a small 

 patch, not extending more than about 100 yards in any direction. Some of the more 

 pyritous shale is used in the manufacture of alum. 



"The only fossils found in the lower portion of the Eanikot group, with the exception 

 of a few fragments of bone, have been plants, some Dicotyledonous leaves, hitherto not 

 identified, being the most important. All the Eanikot beds, except towards the top of 

 the group, have the appearance of being of freshwater origin, and are probably fluviatile. 



A variable portion of the group, however, towards the top, consists of highly 

 fossiliferous marine limestones, often light or dark brown in colour, interstratified 

 with sandstones, shales, clays, and ferruginous bands. These are the lowest beds in 

 Sind containing a distinctly Tertiary marine fauna. 



" The brown limestones are well developed around Lynyan, east of Band Vera and 

 north-west of Kotri, and throughout the area of Eanikot beds, near Jhirak and Tatta. 

 In this part of the country there appears to be a complete passage upwards into the 

 overlying Nummulitic limestone (Khirthar) ; but in the Laki range the upper marine 

 beds of the Eanikot group are poorly represented or wanting, and it is evident that 

 they were removed by denudation before the deposition of the Khirthar limestone, for 

 the latter is seen at Hothian Pass, resting upon their denuded edges. 



" The greatest thickness of the Eanikot group in the Laki range (where alone, as 

 has already been explained, the base of the group is visible), is about 2000 feet ; but 

 generally the amount is rather less, about 1.500. It must, however, be recollected that in 

 this locality some of the upper marine beds are wanting ; and as these marine limestones 

 and their intercalated shales, sandstones, &c., are 700 or 800 feet thick, in places 

 north-west of Kotri, it is evident that the original development of the group exceeded 

 the 2000 feet seen in the Laki range. 



"Palceontology. — The following are some of the commonest or most important 

 fossils of the Eanikot group. The largest collections made by the Geological Survey 

 have as yet only been partially examined, and the lists of fossils given can be considered 

 only preliminary, many of the commonest species being undescribed forms. 



Nautilus subfleuriausianus. 

 Deluci. 



Eostellaria angistoma. 



Prestwichi. 



fusoides. 



Terebellum distortum. 

 plicatum. 



Cephalopoda. 



Gastbeopoda. 



Nautilus Forbesi. 



Volutajugosa. 



Natica longispira. 



Nerita (Velates) Scbmideliana. 



Turritella angulata, var. 



assimilis. 



