COKALLIFEKOUS SEMES OF SIND. 



191 



Vicarya callosa, and that it was closely allied (the distinctions being 

 only of ornament) to Vicarya Verneuilii, D'Arch., from Sind. 



This Vicarya of Java was associated with species which are closely 

 allied to those of the Miocene of Western and Eastern Europe. 



A Coral (Heliastrcm HerTdotzi, Dune.) from Java resembled the 

 Miocene Heliastrseans more than those of the Eocene*. 



Eollowiug up the subject carefully, I examined all the collections 

 submitted to MM. d'Archiac and Jules Haime ; and to my surprise I 

 found that they had neglected many specimens which had not only 

 a Miocene but even a Pliocene facies. The identity of some species 

 with members of the "West-Indian Miocene Coral-fauna was tolerably 

 evident; and whilst admitting the similarity of the mineral con- 

 dition of all the fossils, I divided the genera into those which else- 

 where are found in Eocene, Miocene, and Pliocene formations. 



During the following yearf I examined and described twenty- 

 six species of Corals from Sind, from unknown geological horizons 

 near Karachi. Some had been previously described by D'Archiac 

 and Haime ; but the bulk had not. The evidence of the existence of 

 three Tertiary deposits instead of one seemed overwhelming. 



Subsequently the Geological Surveyors of India, Mr. W. T. 

 Blanford, E.R.S., and Mr. Eedden, made an elaborate survey of 

 Upper and Lower Sind, and Messrs. Wynne and Eedden of Cuteh. I 



In the last-mentioned district fossils were found which proved 

 the equivalency of the deposits with those of Sind, and that there 

 was a higher Tertiary horizon than the rsumniulitic. 



The Corals collected in Sind by the Survey, under the superinten- 

 dence of Messrs. Blanford and Eedden. and carefully marked with 

 figures denoting their geological horizons, were sent to me by Mr. 

 Medlicott, E.R.S., the present Superintendent of the Survey, so that 

 they might be described in a volume of the ' Paheontologia Indica: 



But simple description was not all the requirement of the Survey 

 and myself. Certain questions of great importance had arisen in 

 the geology of India ; and it was probable that the determination of 

 the age of the coralliferous strata would assist in deciding the ages 

 of the Himalayan upheaval, of the Sivalik deposits, and of certain 

 olive shales underlying a trap at the base of the Nummulitic series — 

 questions which had been attempted and had been answered by 

 Messrs. Medlicott, Blanford, and Lydekker, and which required 

 some confirmatory evidence. 



There was another reason why I should be honoured by the Geo- 

 logical Survey of India asking me to undertake the description of 

 their splendid collection of fossil Corals from Sind. In my Presi- 

 dential Address for the year 1878 I criticised the opinions of my 

 friends Messrs. Medlicott and Blanford regarding the age of the 

 Himalayas, and inferred that their decision regarding the Post- 

 pliocene date of the so-called Kerbudda fauna, was influenced by 

 the discovery of a human implement in the containing deposit. 



They took the very philosophical course of affording me the means 

 of converting myself to their opinions. 



* Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc. vol. xx. p. 45. 



t Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist., April 1864 (Fossil Corals from Sind). 



