SUMMARY. 227 



the Gkumal sandstone of Stoliczka. Again a sudden change in 

 lithological character from these sandstones into the white limestone 

 of the upper cretaceous seems to point to the probability of there 

 having occurred physical changes on a large scale after the deposi- 

 tion of the lower cretaceous. In the Central Asian area, and also in 

 the Perso-A'fghdn region, a strongly marked overlap of the upper 

 cretaceous over the neocomian limestones may be observed. 



Probably similar features will be found to exist in the Himalayan 

 area the cretaceous rocks of which have not been closely studied. 



The tertiary system is fully developed, though few fossils were 



found in it. A great unconformity occurs be- 



Tertiaries. 



tween certain sandstones which cannot be older 

 than upper eocene (overlying nummulitics) and are probably of 

 miocene age and horizontal beds of clay, sand, gravels and sandstone, 

 which form the high table-land of Hundes, which, having yielded 

 mammalian bone remains, are commonly known as the ossiferous 

 beds of Hundes. 



From the foregoing it will be seen that special disturbances 



must have occurred in early geological times 



Periodical disturbances. 



and have been repeated periodically. 



It is very certain that near the beginning of the haimanta era 

 sufficient physical changes have occurred not only to completely 

 Alter the lithological character of the deposits in course of formation, 

 but also the area in which the latter were laid down. The great 

 thicknesses of coarse conglomerates, which are of widespread extent in 

 the lower haimantas, indicate the nearness of land at the time or as I 

 may term it the existence of an early region of elevation in place of 

 the present area of the Central Himalayas. At the same time litho- 

 logical, not less than structural, conditions point to the probability of 

 true haimanta deposits having been laid down also on the south slope 

 of what is now the Central Himalayan region. 



The compression of the Himalayan — and indeed entire Central 

 Asian area and consequent folding, and thus elevating of it, most 

 probably went on uninterruptedly and continuously from the earliest 



( 227 ) 



