i840.] 



On the Geology of Cutch, 



Clypeasters, and Spatangi. The species of Echini and Galerites are all 

 new. A *l}'peaster resembles C. a ffinis of the sandy n;arl of Brabant; 

 and a Spatangus, the S. Bucklandii of the marly chalk of Westphalia ; 

 while another species agrees with the Spatangus acuminatus of the terti- 

 ary deposits of Dusseldorf. The other fossils consist of species of Telli- 

 na, Astarte., (^ardiura, Area, Pectunculus, Pecten, Nucula, Ostrea, Ceri- 

 thium, l^urbiiiellus, (globulus, and Seraphe. The Turbinella abounds 

 and is often very large. In the bed of the river above described, I found 

 large blocks composed entirely of small oysters, similar to Ostrea Fla- 

 bellulum, but more regularly and finely striated. 



G. Tertiary Strata. 



I have called all that portion of the province tertiai^y which is compos- 

 ed of rocks containing fossils belonging to this period. It consists priii= 

 cipally of a hard argillaceous grit, interspersed with fossil shells, and 

 covered l)y b^^ds of pebbles or conglomerate. Some portions of this con- 

 glomerate are very coarse, and constituted of rolled or boulder stones 

 loosely » onnected ; whilst other portions are sufficiently indurated to be 

 used as a building stone. A calcareous grit, which soils the fingers like 

 chalk, ilso occurs in patches, and contains innumerable small shells. It 

 is used for building, and is burnt for lime. The beds are horizontal, and 

 the isurface of the country is generally covered with a fine rich soil 



At the village of Soomrow, about ten miles north- east of the fort and 

 harbour of Juckow, on the south-western coast, the banks of a broad 

 river-bed are composed partly of a loose gravelly soil, and partly of a 

 very hard, compact, calcareous rock, full of shells, and burnt for lime; 

 and below this rock is a coralline limestone. The river-bed, in some 

 places, is nearly a mile across, the banks being cut into ledges or steps, 

 whilst numerous small hillocks, or high banks of gravel and clay, stand 

 is' lated in its middle. Only a small stream now winds from shore to 

 shore. One part of the northern bank rises into a small hill, the surface 

 of which is composed of the same hard, compact, shelly rock as that 

 which is found even with the bed of the river. For some distance north 

 of this spot, the ground is also high, and cut into innumerable ravines ; 

 and there are breaks in the surface, as well as circular hollows, or large, 

 deep pits. The natives have a tradition, that an earthquake occurred at 

 this spot, some centuries since, during a severe battle between the Sin- 

 dians and the natives of Cutch. The raised position of the shelly rock, 

 and the peculiarly rent and broken appearance of the ground, indicate 

 some convulsive movement ; and it should be noticed, that, as all the 



