148 
Records of Ike Geoloyical Surve/j of India. 
[vox. XII. 
ten miles nortb-east-by-east of Sivaganga, is very great to some of tbebard sbales 
, . occurring at Sripermatur and Vamavaram; but unfor- 
Ammorscnpatti shales. , , i . 
tunately no organic remains could bo found, tbougb 
very closely searcbed for. Tbe sbales are not seen in situ, but only as material 
turned over from tbe bottom of a small tank south of tbe village. A consider¬ 
able quantity, however, was exposed in tbe bank of tbe tank in clean condition, 
so that tbe color and texture of the rock could be well studied. Tbe prevalent 
colors are buff and yellow mottled wdtb white. Some quantity was also noted 
of pink color, ranging to red with a crust of white abo ut to inch in thickness 
along tbe lines of jointing, which arc sharply cut. 
About a mile south-east of this spot I came upon a small ojiening in the 
heavy scrub jungle where much debris of very sandy bard shale, almost a sand¬ 
stone, lay mixed up with lateritic debi’is ; this shale, too, bears a strong I’esem- 
blance to many sandy sbales occurring in tbe northern outcrops of tbe Upper 
Gondwiina scries. No fossils were here observed, nor was tbe rock seen 
in situ, tbe surface at that spot being a dead flat showing no sort of section.* 
Tbe spot where the bard sandy shale was seen is passed through by tbe cart 
track leading south-south-eastward to Kalliar Kovil. 
Tbe petrological resemblance of these sbales to members of Rajmabal group 
(Upper Gondwanas) in tbe Triebinopoly, Madras, and Ongole areas is certainly 
far greater than their resemblance to any member of tbe lateritic series, or of 
the Cuddalore sandstone grouji, that I am acquainted with, but in tbe absence of 
org-anic remains, the ago of tbe Ammersonpatti sbales cannot be positively deter¬ 
mined. 
Very faint traces of drab or buffy shale were noted in the bank of a tank-well 
on tbe west side of tbe road to Tripatur, about two miles north of Sivaganga. 
Only small chips of tbe shale were found in tbe mass of kankary lateritic 
gravel turned out, and no traces of fossils could be found.^ 
Some connection exists also, unless I am mistaken, between some remarkable 
boulder beds, resting upon tbe sui’facc of tbe gneiss in 
Bou del be s. quarter, and the Eajraabal beds. These boulder bods 
cover a very considerable surface on tbe higher ground north-east of Sivaganga, 
and soutb-w’est of Serrnvayal. Their limits were not determined owing to the 
great defects of tbe map (sheet 80), and to the difficulty of doing any mapping 
in extensive and thick spreads of scrub jungle in tbe absence of any landmarks. 
Tbe boulder beds are best seen along the road leading from Natarasbenkottai, 
nortb-nortb-w'estw'ard to Kolakattipatti (Colacuttyputty). They appear to be 
duo to the action of surf beating on shoals f for not only do many largo and w'ell- 
rounded pebbles strew tbe surface, but tbe surfaces of various protuberances of 
’ Tliis spot was only e-ianihiod cursorily, as I c.nne upon it very late in tbe day when far 
from camp, and had no subsequent opportunity of revisiting it. 
“ The country round Sivaganga deserves a closer examination than I could give it, as I was 
seeking to carry the bouiuhary work southward as fast as possible. Bailing health and strength, 
however, compelled me to seek a change which prevented my revisiting these localities as I intended 
doing. 
=* These boulder beds lie at a higher level than much of the gneissic area to the westward f 
them. 
