On the Coal Fields and Coal Production of India. 499 
_ The area through which, often at widely separated intervals, 
exposures of these beds are scattered, may be roughly indicated 
by saying that it occupies the higher central parts of the penin- 
sula, being bounded by the 77° and 88° of east longitude, and the 
16° 30’ and 25° parallels of north latitude. 
The Talchir beds are of no economic importance, save that they 
contain several varieties of easily worked, durable, and sometimes 
ornamental building stones. Limestones are rarely found, gener- 
ally they occur merely as concretionary masses in other rocks. 
From their scattered distribution and limited extent, they can 
scarcely be expected ever to prove of much value. 
KARHARBARI Grovp.—This group of beds, which consists of 
conglomerates, sandstones, and coal, was long considered, in 
consequence of the strong lithological resemblance which its 
members bore to the Barakar rocks to belong to that group. 
Recent paleontological investigations, by Dr. Feistmantel, are 
considered to be of sufficient weight to cause it to be classed in 
closer proximity to the Talchir group, a number of species of 
plants having been found common to both ; but the physical re- 
lations between the Karharbari beds and those of the Talchir 
group seem to be identical with those existing between the Bara- 
kars and the latter, and there is not any sign in the lithological 
characters, or in the conditions of deposit thence deducible com- 
mon to the Talchir and Karharbari groups. Attempts to point 
lithological distinctions as existing between the Karharbari and 
Barakar beds appear to me to be somewhat strained, and not very 
successful. The differences are simply such variations as might 
have been determined by local conditions of deposit. I believe, 
therefore, that the fossil evidence merely proves a survival of 
certain species, and cannot be taken to counterbalance the geolo- 
gical evidence as to a marked separation between the deposition 
of the Talchir and succeeding groups. 
The Karharbari rocks were named after the coal field bearing 
that title; they have also been identified at Mopani. Their 
thickness is 500 feet. 
BARAKAR Group.—This group of rocks, from which, as I have 
said, I believe the Karharbari beds cannot be separated, consists of 
sandstones, grits, pebble conglomerates, conglomerates with angular 
ScIEN. Proc., R.D.S. Vou. 1, Pr. vi. 22 
