) 
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/ 
. 
1906. | Proceedings of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. iii 
published work was not greater than that which he freely con- 
tributed to friends in private correspondence. Amidst his man 
duties at home, as a prominent official of several scientific societies, 
tion of the w i private pa rh he has shown his 
juniors new fa re rofitable ee has pointed ont by his 
unique knowledge of dearagane and w of experience, the signifi- 
ance of new observations, and ia a requently saved his less 
experienced erage: from the pitfalls of hasty deductions — 
t data in this country, where “a little learning” i 
Natural Huniey is as dangerous as it is in “poHEIA and socio- 
logical matters. 
o reference to Blanford’s scientific work would be complete 
cles an allusion to one amongst the many ways in which it 
has been of economic value to the sana to which he devoted his 
best energies. His geological maps of the coalfields have been, an 
still are, the guide of colliery managers in Bengal : to their remark- 
able accuracy has been due the successful opening up o 
m 
Department of Government to which he belonged. And yet there 
is no prospect of reaching the end of his usefulness: scarcely a 
month passes without some new illustration of the accuracy of an 
apparently unimportant line on one of his maps, or of the signifi- 
cance of a seemingly passing thought in his reports on Indian 
minerals. 
Blanford’s services to science were naturally recognised in 
Europe: in 1874 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society ; 
in 1881, whilst representing India at the International Geological 
Congress at Bologna, he was elected a Vice-President of the Con- 
a s on three subsequent occasions—Berlin 1885, London 
1888 , and Paris 1900, On his retirement from the Indian service 
in 1882, the Geological Society of London scanned on him the 
highest — at their disposal, the Wollaston medal. In 
1884 he was elected President of the Gsseieal Section of the 
British Aascbtation at Montreal, and at the same time the — 
University conferred on him the hon norary degree of LL. He 
was elected President of the Geological Society of London in "1888, 
served three times as Vice-President of the Royal Society, on on 
other occasions as Vice-President oa the Zoological and the Royal 
Geographical Societies. In 1904 the King honoured the Most 
Eminent Order of the Indian Empire hy including Dr, Blanford’s 
name amongst the roll of Companions 
1. ds Ge 
