Reviews — Report of Rugby School. 429 



coal may fairly be presumed to extend, and probably nowhere will 

 it be found at a greater depth than 120 yards below the surface. 

 The average thickness of coal established by the numerous trials 

 may be taken as nearly 40 feet, but this includes some beds that 

 would not be worth working, and probably 20 feet would represent 

 the maximum thickness of workable coal. Taking these data, and 

 making allowance for faults and disturbances, Dr. Oldham calculates 

 that there is an available quantity of coal in East Berar equal to 

 about 480,000,000 tons. 



Passing into Chanda, the small area occupied by coal, precisely 

 the same as that in Berar, would probably yield about 78,000,000 

 tons of workable coal. 



5. Report on the Coal at Korla, in the Bilaspur District. By W. T. 

 Blanfokd, F.G.S. — The coal is exposed in two places in the bed of 

 the Hasdo river, just below Korba. The thickness was estimated, 

 though roughly, from its dip and length of outcrop, to be at least 

 90 feet, including bands of shale and inferior coal. In order to 

 obtain a more correct idea of the quality of the coal, small pits were 

 dug, these proved a minimum thickness of 50 feet of fair coal. Mr. 

 Blanford points out the best places for borings in order to ascertain 

 the extent of the seam, as sufficient data are not known to justify 

 the opening of a coal mine. Both the quality and mode of occur- 

 rence of the coal are considered favourable, and indeed, to surpass 

 that near Chanda. 



S.EVIE'WS. 



I. — Eeport of the Eugby School Natural History Society for 

 THE Year, 1869. Eugby : W. Billington, 1870, pp. 69. 



WE have already called attention to the activity of this useful 

 Society. The third report now issued shows it to have lost 

 none of its vigour. Throughout the academical year meetings have 

 been held each fortnight, and masters and scholars alike have con- 

 tributed, by papers and presentations, or exhibitions of natural 

 history specimens or apparatus, to render them very interesting. 

 Of the many papers read but a few are printed. They suffice to 

 show, however, that the salient features of recent scientific discovery 

 are with little delay laid before the members, and not a few report 

 the results of individual observation. Among these is a valuable 

 paper by Mr. J. M. Wilson, on the Drifts, Gravels, and Alluvial 

 Soils of Eugby and its neighbourhood, describing some borings which 

 he caused to be made, and the specimens obtained from them which 

 he has deposited in the Arnold Library. " English Snakes and the 

 Blindworm" is the title of a contribution by Mr. N. Masterman that 

 is well worth reading. The author has studied the lives and habits 

 of his pets, and speaks of them with an enthusiasm which is quite 

 delightful. The botany of the neighbourhood has not been neglected, 

 new localities are registered, and the variations in dates of flowering 

 recorded. The mention of three other papers will suffice to show 

 VOL. vn. — NO. Lxxv. 28 



