340 Notices of Memoirs — -Indian Geology. 



dent for Madras. Notwithstanding these drawbacks, much progress 

 has been made in the Survey, and a great deal of valuable geological 

 information obtained from various parts of the country. 



Attention was early drawn to a serious earthquake which was felt 

 at Cachar and Sylhet, on the 10th of January, 1869 ; the evidence 

 connected with which was examined into by Dr. Oldham, and briefly 

 laid before the Asiatic Society of Bengal. A further report of the 

 effects of this earthquake is in progress. 



As few accurate records exist of the earthquake shocks felt in the 

 country, Dr. Oldham has been led to prepare a catalogue of Indian 

 earthquakes, and, aware of the difficulty attending the compilation 

 by a single individual, he solicits the contribution of facts from 

 others who have paid attention to the subject. 



In the Central Provinces, Chanda and Berar, explorations by 

 boring have taken place to test the continuity of the beds of coal 

 which the river Wurdah has exposed in one or two places, and also 

 to prove the nature, thickness, and contents of the coal-bearing 

 formation generally. 



This method is rendered the more necessary in this district from 

 the fact that the rocks are, except at distant intervals, concealed by 

 a thick covering of clays. 



The presence of coal has been satisfactorily determined, by boring, 

 at Telewassa, — 41 ft. 7 in. of coal have been determined here, in a 

 total depth of 138 ft., — and also near the village of Nokora. 



The results, so far as the explorations have been carried, point to 

 the general continuity of the coals on a fixed horizon in the lower 

 sandstones of the Barakar group. 



Well-sinking has been attempted at Umballa — a large station 

 which suffered much from insufficiency in supply of water. Mr. 

 Medlicott, from an acquaintance with the country, urged this method 

 of obtaining the required article, and the very first trial confirmed 

 the justice of his expectations. 



Cotaparisons have been instituted by Mr. Medlicott between the 

 several series of sandstones, etc., associated with the coal in Bengal, 

 and those in Central India. 



The vast extension and great constancy in mineral character of the 

 Talchir rocks (which form the base of the great coal-bearing series) 

 has been more fully established, and the dying-out of the beds in 

 passing to the west has received further support. The entire group 

 of the Coal-formation, which in the east gives five well-marked 

 subdivisions (in ascending order, Talchir, Barakar, Ironstone shales, 

 Eanigunj, and Panchet), becomes, at a short distance to the west, 

 only a three-fold series, comprising the Talchir, Barakar, and Panchet 

 subdivisions. 



Mr. Medlicott has also brought forward additional proofs to show 

 that, on the large scale, the present limits of these Coal-measures 

 coincide approximately with the original limits of deposition, and 

 are not the result of faulting, or even mainly of denudation. 



Dr. Oldham re- states his opinion (announced by him at the 

 meeting of the British Association in 1867) that the great drainage 



