338 Museum of Economic Geology . [No. 124. 



stance, they have been the means of calling forth a very able report from 

 Mr. Piddington, as to his views respecting the requisites for collections 

 of this kind in India. Though Mr. Piddington's catalogue of desiderata 

 may appear large, and refer perhaps, more to a complete series of col- 

 lections, than to what may be sufficient and essentially required for the 

 well- working of a Museum of Economic Geology in India, yet a large 

 part of them could be supplied at a very moderate cost. Time and op- 

 portunity will be required far more than money for a very large part of 

 the desired collections, though no doubt, some small outlays may from 

 time to time be necessary. It would be our earnest desire, as well as 

 our duty, at the Museum of Economic Geology, to aid an institu- 

 tion of the like kind established under the East India Company in 

 India, and it would be very easy to endeavour, as much as possible, 

 to obtain duplicates of Foreign as well as British specimens, likely 

 to be useful in India, when we collect them for ourselves. Copies 

 of the plans and sections of the Metalliferous and Coal mines in our 

 Mining Record Office could readily be furnished at the expense of 

 the copying, and care could be taken to select only such as would be 

 likely to be useful in India. Arrangements might be made to find 

 competent persons to construct copies of such of our models as 

 might be thought valuable, particularly those required in the earliest 

 conditions of a mine. In fact, much could be accomplished, at once and 

 readily, in this manner, should it meet the approbation of the Directors 

 of the East India Company ; and as regards the applications of Geology 

 under consideration, we might be rendered available for what is done in 

 the United Kingdom and in many parts of Europe ; at the same time it 

 would be desirable that applications to the friends of India, resident in 

 this part of the world, should not be neglected. 



The most important part of the collections must necessarily be made 

 in India, and can probably be best accomplished in the manner pointed 

 out by Capt. Tremenheere and Mr. Piddington. 



I would venture to suggest, that it would be very desirable by any 

 methods that may be deemed most expedient, as early as possible to 

 procure an estimate, however rough it may be, of the mineral resources 

 of India, i. e. that those points which may appear the most promising, 

 may receive the required attention, and the real state of knowledge on 

 this subject be shewn by something like effective and trust-worthy docu- 



