1867.] Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. 3 



experienced geologist, he was engaged, during the ten years of his 

 connection with the survey, in the Khasia hills, in the Rajmahal hills, 

 and other parts of Bengal and Central India ; but his chief and best 

 known publication is that on the geology of the Pachmari hills 

 and the upper vallies of the Soane and Nurbudda, much of which 

 country he surveyed under the peculiar difficulty of having to form 

 his own topographical map pari passu with the survey of the 

 geological details. In 1861, when, owing to the outbreak of the civil 

 war in America, the cotton production of India suddenly became 

 an object of the highest importance to the manufacturers of Europe, 

 Mr. Medlicott was commissioned by Government to draw up a hand- 

 book on the cotton production of Bengal, a work whick gained 

 for him a high reputation among those best able to appreciate its 

 value. In 1862 he joined the Educational Department of Bengal, 

 and up to the time of his decease in May of the past year, he con- 

 tinued to discharge the responsible duties of his post, earning by the 

 liberality and catholicity of his views, not less than by the geniality 

 of his spirit, the respect and confidence of all with whom he 

 had to deal. His minor writings were numerous ; chiefly contri- 

 butions to the Calcutta Review and other periodicals. One of these, 

 his review of Mr. Darwin's well known work on the origin of species, 

 may be mentioned as having been noticed by the eminent author 

 of the original work, as the most appreciative of all the numerous 

 reviews that that remarkable book had drawn forth. 



Mr. Obbard was for some years a member of the Society's Council, 

 and especially took an active part in the meteorological discussion g 

 of two or three years since. His devotion to this science ceased 

 only with his death, which occurred shortly after his arrival in England, 

 whither he had proceeded in March last. 



Two corresponding members have been elected during the past year, 

 viz., Professor Emil von Schlagintweit, well known by his valuable 

 work on Thibetan Buddhism, and the Rev. M. A. Sherring, to whom, 

 in connection with Mr. Home, the Society is indebted for several 

 valuable contributions to the Journal on the subject of the Buddhist 

 antiquities of Benares. 



