1840.1 



from {he Peninsula of India. 



17 



15th. — Singular calcareous rock : composed of minute acgul^-^r frag- 

 ments of a dark glistening quartz, and crystals of p?ae flesh-coloured 

 felspar, cemented together by a greenish, gracolar, sub -crystalline paste, 

 conaposed chiefly of carbonate of lime. It occurs in a hill rear the 

 village of Hurti, on the soutbem flank of the Kupputgode range, not fer 

 from the Putwurden's territory. The hill has a mammiicnn shape, 

 baring its surface covered with detached angular and nigged masses of 

 this rock, which appear to hare been subjected to the action of violent 

 disruptive force. It is veiy likely to be mistaken, from the colour, hard- 

 ness and granular texture, for a variety of massive siliceous chlorite rock, 

 and in some specimens resembles dialiage and serpentme : but on the 

 application of a lens, and indeed by the naked eye, on c'oser in- 

 spection, its true aggregate character may be distinctly recognized. The 

 application of dilute nitric acid to the rock in subst^-cce excites but a 

 feeble effervescence ; but on the powder the extrication of carbonic acid 

 gas is abundantly eviient. It often imbeds cubic pyrites of iron. The 

 felspar, the dark quartz crystals, and dull green hue of the rock, possi- 

 bly indicate its origin from the chloritic slates of the Kupputgode lulls. 



16. — Variety of the foregoing, less crystalline in texture, imbedding 

 cubic brass and liver-co' cured pyrites. Colour, dull green, with reddish 

 brown delineations, assimilating some varieties of serpentine. From the 

 minute glittering scales of mica, observable in this r^ck, and its softer 

 texture, it would appear to have been formed out of the debris of the 

 neighbouring mica slate. It euervesces with the dilute mineral acids : 

 before the blow pipe, per se, it phosphoresces s ightly, and exhibits on 

 its edges shining points of black enamel. The compact varieties of tn:s 

 rock are susceptible of a high polish, and are used as an ornamental 

 building stone. Some of the exquisite.y polished slabs in the elaborate- 

 ly sculptured little mosque in the town of Lachmaisir, in the territorv of 

 the 3Iahratta C bintaman Row Putwurden, are of this stone, retaining the 

 pyrites which shine like so many spots of gold on its polished sor&ce. 

 The chlorite slate too of this part of the Southern Mahratta Country 

 imbeds pyrites. 



17. — Variety of the above, with cubic liver and gold-coloured pyrites, 

 projecting from the weather-worn suriaee Xjne of these rocks hare been 

 noticed either by Christie or Colonel Sykes. 



IS,— Clay slate of Darwar, red and white, noticed by Christie, com- 

 posed principally of decomposed felspar, more or less coloured with 

 iron, and having a loose aggregation. Ch'.orite also occurs : and to 

 the presence of this mineral may be attributed the peculiar shining 

 flaky structure, and xhe greenish tinge of many of the surrounding slates. 



