4 THE FOSSIL ECHINOIDEA 



strata (the Kanikot series, the lowest Eocene, being absent) ; then the lower and upper 

 Nari series come in, and are followed by the Gaj and the Manchhar deposits. 



The lowest deposits containing Echinoidea occur in the soft olive shales and sand- 

 stones with volcanic ash, belonging to the Cardita Beaumonti series below the trap. 

 The accompanying remains are those of Amphiccelian Crocodilia and Corals, Cdryo- 

 phyllia compressa, C. Indica, Trochocyathus LaMi, Smilotrochus Jakhmari, S. Blanfordi, 

 a Stylophora, Rhabdophyllia Barkii, and Litharcea ejpithecata. The deposit was neither 

 a reef-structure nor a deep-water one. 



The lower part of the Eanikot series, resting immediately on the trap, consists of 

 soft sandstones, shales, clays with gypsum and lignite, and pyritous shale. A few frag- 

 ments of bones and some dicotyledonous leaves occur. These freshwater strata are 

 succeeded by highly fossiliferous marine limestones, often brown in colour, interstratified 

 with sandstones, shales, clays, and ferruginous bands. 



Nummulites appear for the first time ; and there is a grand development of Corals, 

 Echinodermata, Gasteropoda, and Cephalopoda. It was not a very deep-water forma- 

 tion. Erosion of the surface of the Eanikot strata occurred before the deposition of 

 the next series. 



The Khirthar series includes in its highest portion, a massive, pale or dark grey, 

 hard, compact Nummulitic limestone whose extreme thickness is 3000 feet. It thins 

 out to the south-west, and disappears within a distance of twenty-five miles of its 

 greatest development. Other Nummulitic limestone-beds are found, which may be 

 lower in the series ; and they and the main group are represented elsewhere by shaly 

 limestones and sandstones with calcareous bands. In some districts flint occurs in a 

 limestone with Alveolince. The lower members of the series are often wanting, and 

 are well represented by shales, marls, and sandstones; and where these are present 

 unconformity with the underlying Eanikot beds is not seen ; but where they are absent 

 the Nummulitic limestone (as in the Laki range) rests unconformably. The compact 

 limestone is of course highly fossiliferous ; but it has not yielded very good specimens 

 of Corals. The indications of a fringing-reef-building fauna, or a bank of coral, are 

 distinct ; but the species when compared with their modern analogues do not indicate 

 a great reef-development. Amongst other fossils, Lamellibranchiata prevail, and the 

 Echinoidea are numerous ; but the Nummulites and Orbitolites, Alveolince, and Patel- 

 lince are the most important organic remains. Amongst the Nummulites there are 

 W. Bamondi, J^. hiaritzensis, N. Beaumonti, N. granulosus, and N. Leymeriei. 



The Nari series rests conformably on the Khirthar s ; and there is occasionally an 

 apparent passage from the Khirthar limestone into a yellow or brown rock of the Nari 

 group. There is, however, a biological break ; for the Nummulites of the upper group 

 are characteristic, and differ from those of the lower. The Khirthar forms are not 

 found, and Nwmmulites garansensis appears with Orbitoides papyracea, in the Nari 

 series. The rock is a limestone with intercalations of sandstones and shales. As a rule, 

 shales, fine sandstones, and occasional bands of limestone form the base of the Nari 

 group, and pass upwards into coarse, massive, thick-bedded sandstones, attaining a 

 thickness of from 4000 to 5000 feet on the eastern flank on the Khirthar range. 



