NOTICE. 



The following report on a portion of the district of Trichinopoly, 

 and adjoining areas, in the Madras Presidency, has been drawn up by 

 Mr. H. F. Blanford, who had charge of the party of the Geological 

 Survey by whom that country was examined. The map, which accom- 

 panies it, is extracted (with a few alterations) from a map of the 

 Trichinopoly district on the scale of one-half inch to the mile, publish- 

 ed by the Madras Government — 1854 ; the best map which was 

 available. 



The operations of the Geological Survey of India were extended to 

 the Madras Presidency in the beginning of 1857. I had determined to 

 take up first the richly fossiliferous districts of Trichinopoly and 

 Pondicherry, with a view to establishing, if possible, their relations to 

 the rock systems of Bengal. But the season did not permit of the 

 examination of the lower country being commenced at once : and during 

 the hot and rainy months of that year, the Nilghiris were visited. As 

 soon, however, as the change of season permitted, the examination of 

 those districts, in which rocks representative of the Cretaceous formation 

 of Europe were already known to exist from the valuable collections of 

 Messrs. Kaye and Cunlifie, and the admirable description of Profess6r 

 E. Forbes, was undertaken ; and was subsequently carried on without 

 further interruption than was caused by the seasons, until completed 

 towards the close of 1860. During this investigation very extensive 

 and valuable collections of fossils were made ; and figures and descrip- 

 tions of one important group of these, the N'autiloid Cephalopoda, 

 have been already published.* 



* Palreontologia Iiidica, Ser. I. 



