OCT. — DEC. 1856.] The Natron Lake of Loonar. 5 
]ji an able statistical memoir of the Circar of Meikher, drawn 
KemarUs „„ the Geo- "P ^"^8^°" ^'^^^'"^ Contingent, 
logy of the Loonar then on special duty, the opinion is re-ad- 
vanced and supported by Geological facts, 
that this singular and wild looking excavation, is the crater of an 
extinct volcano. On this point, however, there exists amongst 
Geologists, I believe, some difference of opinion, so that the ques- 
tion may be regarded as still " sub judice." A jagged and pic- 
turesque rent exists in the N. E. ^v>flll of the supposed crater, down 
which runs the little stream tvhich passes through a stone channel 
called the cow's mouth, forming part of a Hindoo temple, which is 
perched romantically upon a spot near the top of the ravine. Since 
the destruction of a weir too,^during the rains, a large and deep 
nullah is filled with water which rushes down the ravine. The 
water as it passes over the almost vertical face of a Trap wall depo- 
sits travertin in considerable quantity. I'hrough this great rent, 
the lava current is supposed by Surgeon Bradley to have found 
an exit, whence he supposed it to have spread over the surround- 
ing country. Whilst descending the ravine, the rough natural sec- 
tion thus exposed, shows Trap rocks of various kinds, vesicular, 
compact and amygdaloidal. Masses also of ferruginous trap, wea- 
thering red, are seen with seams of chalk, reddish ochre, clay and 
disintegrated trap having all more or less of a stratiform aspect. 
During the Resident's recent tour to Hingolee, Loonar, Mominadad, 
Oodygheer and Beder back to Hyderabad, the whole route with 
the exception of the syenite and green stone near Hyderabad, and 
the laterite plateau of Beder lay over an uninteresting country of 
Trap to the entire exclusion of rock of greater Geological and 
Paleontological character. In many places, the Trap bears features 
precisely similar to those observed in the walls and rent of the 
Natron Lake; at times, the Trap was in solid blocks with vertical 
seams and irregular horizontal rents — often seen in bowries — 
again, it was amygdaloidal the nodules being imbedded in concen- 
tric laminae of disintegrated trap and argillaceous shale, the beds 
being laid over chalk,argillaceous schists,marls,red ochre and green 
earth — again, it appeared in rude, but distinct strata, almost as 
regular as the layers of stones in a wall — again, it appeared disor- 
