ASIA. 131 



to study the basin of the Amou river. Levellings "will be made to 

 determine the difference of level between the Caspian and the Aral. 



F. W. B. 



Bauerman, H. Report on the Iron Ores of India. "Supplement to 

 the Gazette of India, Aug. 22, 1874, pp. 1457-9, for PreH- 

 minarj^ Report, and pp. 1494-6, for Further Report. 



In the Preliminary Report to the Government of India the cha- 

 racters of ores from the following localities are described : — 1. Rance- 

 gunge coal-field, clay iron-ores; 2. Karunpoora coal-field, south of 

 Hazareebagh, clay iron-ores ; 3. Nerbudda vaUey, north of Gurrawara, 

 bro"Nvn iron-ore ; Lohara, north-east of Chandah, massive haematite ; 

 5. Yenak, in Berar, haimatitic sandstone and conglomerate ; C. De- 

 chourie and Kaleedoongee, in Kumaon, pisolitic heematite ; 7. Ram- 

 gurh and Khyma, in Kumaon, specular and massive haematite. 

 Many considerations bearing on the question of the practicability of 

 establishing remunerative iron-smelting works are discussed. 



In the Further Report partial analyses of some of the ores are given ; 

 and the conclusion is drawn that iron-works might be established in 

 the Raneegunge district, to work at a profit during the prevalence of 

 high prices in England. Also the iron-ores of Chanda are promising, 

 if they can be brought into communication with the Chanda and 

 Berar coal-fields. F. D. 



Beke, Dr. C. T. On the True Position and Physical Characters of 

 Mount Sinai. Rep. Brit. Assoc, for 1873, Sections, pp. 161, 

 162. 



Refers to the differences of opinion which have been held as to 

 the identification of Mount Sinai : thinks the cause of this uncertainty 

 is ob-vdous, believing that the mountain is not in the peninsula of 

 Sinai. Gives evidence that this mountain is really a volcano, now 

 extinct, situated "within the Harra Radjla, a region of igneous origin, 

 on the west side of the Arabian desert. At the time of the Exodus 

 Mount Sinai was in a state of eruption, the smoke and flame from its 

 crater being described by the sacred historian as "by day a pillar of 

 cloud, and by night a pillar of fire." The volcano was not extinct in 

 the time of Elijah, six centuries later. W. T. 



Belt, T. The Steppes of Siberia. Quart. Joum. Geol. Soc. vol. xxx. 

 pp. 490-498, 4 woodcuts. 



After describing the beds of which the Steppes are formed, and 

 giving detailed sections, the author advances the theory that there 

 was a damming up of the drainage of the country by an overflow of 

 polar ice, and a consequent formation of a vast lake, in which was 

 deposited the material of the Steppes. O. A, L. 



Blanford, W. T. On some Evidence of Glacial Action in Tropical 

 India in Palaeozoic (or the oldest Mesozoic) times. Rep. Brit. 

 Assoc, for 1873, Sections, p. 76. 



Describes the occurrence of scratched boulders in fine shaloa at 



