INTRODUCTORY. 5 



evident that that belief depends on the assimilation of the Great 

 Limestone as conformable with the still older rocks, — namely, the 

 palaeozoic slates and schists, which occupy much of the higher 

 Himalayan range. Herein, I shall subsequently show reason for 

 differing from Mr. Medlicott : it will be made clear that the 

 nummulitics, though in many places lying in the same state of 

 disturbance as rocks of probably mesozoic age, which in turn are 

 equally disturbed, with a great or massive limestone formation com- 

 ing beneath them, are probably merely the uppermost beds of a zone 

 of formations which must be regarded as young, compared with most 

 of the great Himalayan range itself. That is to say, I shall introduce 

 behind the Siwalik and Nahan rocks (upper tertiary) a disturbance 

 zone, composed in ascending order of massive limestone, Tal 

 (mesozoic), and nummulitics, which bear the same relation to the 

 older slates and schists that the Siwaliks bear to them. The matter, 

 in a word, is this : Mr. Medlicott supposed the Great Limestone of the 

 Jamu area to be palaeozoic ; and therefore the nummulitics, which 

 were thrown into folds with it, give a tertiary date to the dis- 

 turbance of the whole palaeozoic rocks of the Himalaya. I myself 

 (in agreement with Mr. Lydekker) by showing the massive limestone 

 to be more probably of mesozoic age, and divided sharply from 

 the still older slates and schists, merely give a post-nummulitic date 

 to the disturbance of this zone of mesozoic age ; leaving the ques- 

 tion of the still older palaeozoic rocks very much where it was 

 before. 1 



The conclusions to which I am led by independent exploration are 

 in entire agreement with Mr. Medlicott's original statement in the 

 memoir, save that I would go further. I believe that, if we could 

 have been present in Siwalik times, — nay, even in Nahan or nummu- 

 litic times, — we should have seen the Himalayan range in all its might 

 standing up very much as it does now. 



1 From one remark in his memoir Mr. Medlicott would seem to have once leaned 

 towards this view. At page 170 he says : "From this point of view there are many 

 reasons for associating the calcareo-shaly band, which I have described as the Krdl 

 group, with the younger rather than with the older strata." 



( 63 ) 



