1855.] On the age of the Goal strata in Central India. 347 



On the age of the Coal strata in Western Bengal and Central 

 India. — By Rev. Stephen Hislop, Nagpur. 



The age of the coal field of Newcastle, Australia, has been a 

 subject of discussion to as great an extent almost as the geological 

 position of our Indian carbonaceous strata. For my own part, I 

 have been inclined to acquiesce in the view of McCoy, who, in the 

 An. and Mag. of Nat. Hist. vol. XX., endeavours to prove that the 

 beds with vegetable and those with animal remains belong to differ- 

 ent formations, — that the former are Oolitic, while the latter must 

 be referred to Paleozoic times. Not having his paper at present 

 in my possession, I cannot now adduce the arguments by which he 

 seeks to establish his opinion ; but it is of little consequence, as 

 the evidence, which I shall bring forward, in the sequel, on the age 

 of our Indian coal measures, will be independent of the Palaeozoic 

 or Mesozoic character of those of N. S. Wales. 



Perhaps the most interesting part, in a section of the rocks of 

 Central India, is the junction of the massive sandstone above with 

 the laminated strata below. The latter, however various they may 

 be in different localities as regards their lithologic and sometimes 

 even their palseontologic features, may readily enough be distin- 

 guished by their relation to the superior beds, whose identity again 

 is sufficiently attested by the iron bands, which run through their 

 mass. This ferruginous sandstone is well developed at the Maha^ 

 deva Hills, in the north of the province of Nagpur, in the vicinity 

 of the city itself, and at Kota on the Pranhita, in the dominions of 

 the Nizam. The subjoined sections represent the succession of the 

 strata at these places respectively, as far as they are known : 



1 z 



