76 



On the Fossils of the JSastern Portion 



[July 



the cement, the natives have applied to it a name signifying impressions 

 made in clay by the feet of sheep. The thickness of the bed in one 

 place, where it is intersected by a torrent, is 12 feet, and it rests directly 

 on red granite A great spur, from the upper part of the mountain, 

 extends across the terrace, rising precipitously above the fossiliferous 

 limestone, a few hundred yards from the spot where it rests on granite ; 

 and has buried the continuation of the stratum under an accumulation 

 of basaltic debris. Where the limestone becomes concealed in the 

 basalt, a friable, gray, cellular m.ass, resembling ashes, occurs, apparently 

 imbedded in both these rocks. The fossils are composed of granular 

 limestone, the matrix consisting of calcareous matter mixed with the ash- 

 like substance, and small fragments of granite. Some of ihe shells are 

 of great size, but they are ill preserved, and I found only one specimen 

 •with the valves united. These shells, I erroneously considered to be 

 marine (principally from the appearance of those represented in Plate, 

 fig. 4 to 8, and some of the large flattened specimens). Mr. 

 Lonsdale, however, who had the kindness to examine some of them, 

 considered their general character to be that of fresh- water species. I 

 had previously detected, in a fragment of a compact argillo -cal- 

 careous stone found at the bottom of the little cliff where the granite 

 is seen to underlie the fossils, a number of very perfect Mel anise ; I 

 therefore re-examined the different specimens, and detected in them 

 fragments of the same kind as those in the limestone ; and Mr. Sowerby 

 has since been able to extract from the latter, specimens sufficiently 

 distinct to be identified with the Unio Deccanensis (Plate fig. 4 to 

 10), found in the chert at Munnoor, and another species (JJuio ? tumiday 

 fig. 11 and 12,) not yet discovered elsev.'hereo No other fossils were 

 found in this locality. 



When it is considered, that the accumulation of freshwater shells 

 occurs on the precipitous descent of a mountain range, ascended with 

 much difficulty by travellers, it will be evident that the aspect of the 

 country has been entirely altered since these animals lived. 



COUSTRY BETWEEN THE SICHEL HILLS AND NAGPOOR. 



Towards the foot of the pass, the rock changes from the nodular 

 basalt to amygdaloid ; and near its junction with the granite, masses of 

 greenstone porphyry, with large crystals of felspar, occur. The granite 

 then reappears, protruding in rounded masses through the soil of the 

 level country around Yedlabad. The bed of a stream near that town is 

 strewed with fragments of blue limestone and schist, resembling those of 



