TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION C. 533 



of homotaxis. In India it is hoped that the work will incite local amateurs to 

 aid our small staff. In former times much good yeoman's service was done by 

 amateurs, whose observations were incorporated in Greenough's well-known map. 

 But in the India of to-day it would be difficult to name half a dozen amateur geolo- 

 gists. The causes of this scarcity of volunteers are not difficult to explain. There 

 is now more pressure from official duties, and the facilities for making short runs 

 to Europe during periods of relaxation are vastly increased. 



The details of the geology of India are far too complicated to be disposed of in 

 a speedy review like the present. The more especially as some of our palaeontolo- 

 gists have attempted to establish minute correlation of horizons with those recog- 

 nised and established in Europe. Hence have arisen what are known as " palreon- 

 tological contradictions " — the marine faunas, where existing, not always pointing 

 to the same conclusions as the floras. 



Broadly speaking, it may be said that there are two geologies in India — that 

 of the Himalayas and adjoining tracts, and that of the Peninsula proper. The 

 former conforms in general characters with that of Europe, but the latter is very 

 much sui generis, unlike, at least as regards many of the formations, the geology of 

 any other well-known tract on the earth's surface. It is on this account that a 

 duplicate arrangement of the index has been found to be necessary. 



The author then gave a brief description of the principal Peninsular forma- 

 tions, and pointed out their leading characteristics and probable correlation with 

 European rock systems. He indicated on the map the position of the principal 

 coalfields, and stated that the total area of actual coal measures was possibly not 

 less than 30,000 square miles. The position of the coalfields in reference to that 

 of many of the large cities was most unfortunate, and as regards the southern 

 and western parts of India native coal was generally undersold by English and 

 Australian. 



Regarding the Talchir boulder bed, he was anxious to retract an early opinion 

 of his which had recently been quoted by the President of the Geological Society 

 of London. The glaciation of some of the boulders since found was as distinct as it 

 was on the boulders exhibited to the meeting by Mr. Williams in connection with 

 his paper on the glaciation of Ireland. And recently, as also on a former occasion 

 some years ago, he had come upon a boulder deposit in the Talchir series, which 

 was full of masses of Vindhyan quartzite which must have been carried for 50 or 

 60 miles from the nearest possible source, and had in all probability been ice borne. 



With some remarks on the nature and distribution of laterite, the author con- 

 cluded his brief sketch. 



