PAKT II.] 
Blanford : Coasts of Persian Gulf. 
45 
The island of Kharak* near Bushehr consists of rooks precisely like those of Ilanjam. 
Littoral concrete covers the level ground near the coast; from beneath it rise thick whitish 
grey beds of fine argillaceous limestone, or very calcareous clay, capped by coarse dark 
coloured gritty limestone. Except that the clay is more calcareous, there is no difference in 
mineral character between these rocks and those seen at Has Makln, Gwadar and Jashk. 
Fossils abound on Ivharak, and again the most abundant arc species of Ostrca, Pecten 
and Balanus. More careful comparison than I have had time for hitherto is necessary in 
order to ascertain whether the species are identical with those of the Makrau Coast, but I 
think they are, and if any of them are not the same, they are certainly closely allied. With 
these occur two species of Spondylus and several Echinoderms, amongst which the principal 
are two kinds of Clypeaster, a Scutella and an Echinus. One form of Clypeaster is near 
C. Halaensis, D’Archiac and Haime; all the other fossils appear to be distinct from those 
figured in the “Animaux Fossiles du Group Xummulitique de Tlude” The Palanus may 
certainly be B. mbltevis, but the difficulty of comparing fossil Balanidce is well known. 
Littoral concrete. —This is an impure loose textured limestone, abounding in shells, 
casts of shells, and corals of very late tertiary or subrecent date. The majority and perhaps 
all of the shells found in it are identical with those now common on the coast. It 
frequently resembles in texture the well known Calcaire Grassier of the Paris basin, 
and, like that rock, is an excellent building stone, indeed several of the towns on the Persian 
Coast, e. g., Bushehr, are built of it. It usually occupies flat or nearly flat ground close to 
the shore, and but little raised above the level of the sea, and it is, doubtless, in many 
instances, simply a raised coral reef. 
This formation occurs on the western eoasts of India here and there, as far south as 
Bombay at all events. I did not notice it at the points visited on the Biliichistan coast, 
though I am disposed to believe that it is represented near Gwadar by a rather argillaceous 
bed, of which I have seen fragments abounding in shells. At Jashk on the Persian Coast 
of the Gulf of ’Omdn, it is well developed, and forms a low cliff about 20 feet high. I 
found it on the east side of Hormuz, on Hanjdm and Kishm islands, aud the greater part 
of the surface of Tumb island appears to be formed of it, it being here, if I am right in the 
identification, raised much higher above the sea than usual, and slightly disturbed. Bushehr 
is built upon it, and tho eastern side of Ivharak island is composed of it. In the last named 
locality the island is partly surrounded by a “ fringiug” coral reef, so that the similarity of 
the raised reef forming the “ littoral concrete” and that now existing around the island is 
striking. 
Tho chief geological interest attaching to this formation is derived from the evidence 
it affords of recent elevation of land. Beasons will be given in another paper for believing 
that in this respect the western shore of the Gulf of ’Oman differs from the eastern. 
Camp Gwadar, BUucMstan, January, 1872. 
* Kharg, Karack, Kliarij, Ac., of various maps. The names in the Gulf are mostly Arabic, aud I am informed 
that where the Arabs use j, the Persians employ k. Thus Kharak or Kliarij, HaDjam or Ilenkam. 
