LOcftober, 
566 Progress in Science. 
many places the salt is largely exposed, forming high detached hills and 
cliffs. It has a whitish grey colour, and varies in texture from a highly 
crystalline mass, its most common form to an earthy condition interspersed 
with finely divided clay. Much of the salt is remarkably pure, and so far as 
is yet known, it is without a trace of associated salts of potassa. The Kohat 
salt is found to contain — Insoluble matter, 0*5 ; sulphate of lime, 2^5 ; mag- 
nesia, calcium, and sulphates, o'o. On the other hand, the best Cis-Indus 
salt contains nearly 2 per cent of foreign salts. The strata underlying the 
salt are as yet unknown. The difference between the salt deposits of the two 
regions are so unlike that even small samples, if not pulverised, are declared 
capable of being sworn to with confidence by the officials whose task it is to 
prevent the importation of the Kohat salt into the country east of the Indus. 
The rock salt of Persia, far to the westward, has probably no close connection 
with that of Kohat, since this overlies the nummulitic formation. The salt of 
Ormuz in its occurrence amongst dolerites, trachytes, and micaceous iron 
presents also no analogy with that of the Kohat. No organic remains have 
been discovered iu the overlying gypsum, ncr in the accompanying clays, 
except some obscure grass-like fragments. Some small impressions of shells 
are detected in a limestone band near the top of the gypseous formation. The 
resources of the district, in an economic point of view, are in addition to salt, 
gypsum, sulphur, alum, building stones, and coal. The latter mineral was 
first brought under notice by a native officer, and information concerning its 
quantity is as yet wanting. The total quantity of salt is estimated at 
40 milliards of maunds, sufficient, after making am ample allowance for 
waste, to last, at the present rate of consumption, for 40,000 years. 
In the eighth volume of the “ Records of the Geological Survey of India,” 
we find an interesting paper, by Mr. Fedden, on the former existence of 
ground ice in India. At Irai, in latitude 19 0 53’, and at an elevation under 
900 feet above the sea-level, the evidences of glacial action are considered as 
conclusive as those for the ice-age formation in Europe. There is also a 
notice of fire-bricks made from clay obtained at Mallapur. They were pro- 
nounced superior to Stourbridge bricks, but inferior to those of Glenboig. The 
Shapur coal-field, and the coal explorations in the Narbada region are 
described by Mr. H. B. Medlicott. The author thinks that there are good 
prospers in the Shapur district on the Tawa, if not in the Senada area. On 
the lower Narbada the hope of coal is somewhat more precarious. A sample 
from Naobelaka gave on analysis — Moisture, 3*4; volatile matter (not water), 
39*6; fixed carbon, 55*2; ash, i*8. Total, ioo'o. Mr. Ball reports on the 
Raigarh and Hingir coal-fields. There are many seams of coal, that of 
Dibdorah being at least six and a half feet in thickness and of fair quality. 
Within the Barakar group there are two if not three zones of iron-stone, 
some of the ores appearing to be of good quality. 
Volume nine, part 1, comprises the annual report of the Geological Survey 
of India for the past year. We may particularly notice Mr. Medlicott’s 
labours iu the coal-fields of the Satpure hills, where deep borings are recom- 
mended to test the bulk of the coal deposits and their depth beneath the 
surface. Dr. W. Waagen has been obliged to relinquish his connection with 
the survey on account of his health. The remainder of this issue is devoted 
to the geology of Scinde, 9000 square miles of which province have been 
subjected to a preliminary survey. The importance of a thorough examination 
of Scinde is due to two circumstances : it has long been known that there 
exists in that province a fine series of tertiary rocks, rich in fossils. Further, 
the figures and descriptions of the Indian nummulitic fossils, published by 
D'Archiac and Haime in their “ Description des Animaux fossiles du Groupe 
Nummulitique de lTnde,” lose much of their value, from the circumstance 
that the exaCt position in the series of the beds from which the different fossils 
described were obtained, is unknown. The majority of the fossils have been 
procured in Scinde, but the exaCt localities were not recorded. The investi- 
gation of this province is in the hands of Mr. W. T. Blanford, F.R.S., the 
deputy superintendent of the survey. 
