60 
DIENER : TRIAS OF THE HIMALAYAS. 
Upper Muschelkalk, and discovered the bed No. 3, containing Keyserlin- 
gites Dieneri Mojs. {Ceratites subrohustus antea). In 1900 he fixed the 
horizons distinguished by the two brachiopod faunas in the Bainbanag 
and Shalshal cliffs, showing that the upper one (bed 3) was characterised 
by Spiriferina Stracheyi, and the lower one (bed 1) by Rhjnchonella 
Griesbachi. 
In Spiti this question was finally settled by H. Hay den's discovery 
of the layer with Rhi/ncJionella Griesbachi at the base of the Nodular 
limestone, in the exact position in which it had been found in the 
Bambanag and Shalshal cliffs by Griesbach, Diener and A. v. Krafft.^ 
The evidence now available enables us to point out exactly where to 
draw the stratigraphical lines to indicate the four subdivisions which can 
be distinguished in the Muschelkalk in Painkhanda and Spiti, but the 
position of the two lower subdivisions in the general standard of the 
Triassic system is not quite clear. 
The age of the bed with Rhynchonella Griesbachi (No. 1) and of the 
Nodular limestone (No. 2) is looked upon as doubtful by Hayden and 
A. V. KrafEt. Noetling includes bed No. 1 with the Hedenstroemia 
stage of the Lower Trias and bed No. 2 (his Niti limestone) with the 
Muschelkalk. 
From the horizon of Rhynchonella Griesbachi three species of brachio- 
poda are known, namely : — 
Rhynchonella Griesbachi Bittn. 
Norella Kinrji Bittn. 
Retzia himaica Bittn. 
Although Rhynchonella Griesbachi belongs to the Alpine group of 
Rh. trinodosi Bittn. which is one of the chief leading fossils of the 
Muschelkalk, its presence cannot be regarded as a sufficient proof in 
favour of a Muschelkalk age of this horizon, 
Diener records one ammonite from the layer with Rhynchonella 
Griesbachi, Sibirites Prahlada, which he claims to have chiselled out from 
1 General Report, Geol. Surv. of India for 1900-01, p. 26. Zur Glieberung des 
Muschelkelkes im Himalaya, Verhandl, Ic. k. Geol. Reichsanst, 1901, p. 52. 
2 H. Hayden : The Geology of Spiti, 1. c, p. 69. 
3 Asiatische Trias, Lethosa mesozoica, 1. c., pp. 138, 139. , 
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