8-t TALCHEER COAL FIELD. 



A careful examination of this plain would doubtless be most interesting, 

 aod would well reward the attentive observer by the information which 

 it must yield. 



With regard to nomenclature, the names applied in this Eeport have 

 been adopted on the principle so frequent in forming the Geological 

 Vocabulary, viz., that of naming beds after the localities where they 

 have been first discovered and most accurately described, or where they 

 are best developed. 



Hence the names " Mahadewa," " Damoodah" and " Talcheer" groups. 

 Mr. Carter, indeed, in an admirable paper on the Geology of India, 

 some time since proposed the names Punna sandstone and Kuttra shales, 

 for the supposed equivalents of these groups ; but it is far from certain, 

 that the Punna sandstone is the equivalent of the Mahadewa and 

 Kehrakol beds. Indeed, recent researches tend to prove the contrary ; and 

 the Kuttra shales are not only of equally doubtful relations, but embrace 

 an heterogeneous mixture of beds of different ages. 



Perhaps the best known development of the upper. beds is in the 

 Mahadewa* hills, to the North-west of Nagpur, as described by 

 Messrs. Hislop and Hunter, therefore that name has been adopted. 

 The greatest development of coal-bearing strata of India yet examined 

 is in the well-known Damoodah* field, and this, moreover, was the first 

 described with any accuracy ; while it seems that now, for the first time, 

 has the lower group been clearly distinguished from the overlying strata. 

 Hence, from the district, the name " Talcheer group" is given to it. 



It should be remarked that, throughout this paper, the term 

 " Laterite" is employed solely in a lithological sense, implying a 

 peculiar porous ferruginous rock of apparently concretionary structure, 

 and similar to that well known as occurring in the vicinity of Midna- 

 pur. It has no reference to geological position, inasmuch as it is 



* These names, Mahadewa and Damoodah, have been both ah-eady proposed by Mr. 

 Oldham. 



