RECORDS 
OF THE 
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA. 
Part 1.] 1874:. [February. 
Annual Report of the Geological Survey of India and of the Geological 
Museum, Calcutta, for the year 1S73. 
For the first time since the institution of the Geological Survey of India, it devolves 
upon an Officiating Superintendent to draw up the Annual Progress Report. Dr. Oldham, 
who may he said to have founded the survey, was compelled for the first time, after more than 
twenty-two years of continuous service, to take sick-leave to Europe early in April. For 
many months previously it had been strenuously urged upon him that rest and change of 
climate were necessary for his health. Even when he did leave India, it was to work hard in 
putting our collections into order in the Exhibition at Vienna ; and the high merit officially 
awarded to those collections is largely due to his personal exertions on the spot as well as in 
India. The Superintendent’s absence being only for a season, no change of method has been 
made or proposed, as unless permanently adopted such would only be mischievous. This 
report will therefore be as brief as possible. 
It should be remembered that the progress reported on relates to the work accomplished 
during the field-season ending in April, May, or June, according to position, and brought iuto 
form during the recess for the monsoon ; a preliminary notice being added of the distribu¬ 
tion of the field work for the season opening in October and November. 
I am unfortunate in having to chronicle a season of particularly slack work. Besides 
the absence of the usual number of the staff on sick-leave, several causes supervened to 
disturb what must be considered the normal work of the Survey. These interruptions were 
more or less unavoidable, and are to bo takeu as work done, under which head I have 
here placed them. In some cases at least the advantages gai ued, special or general, will 
compensate for any loss to our yearly tale of ground surveyed. 
For the last half of tho year six out of our small staff were absent. Mr. Blanford has 
been in Europe for the whole twelve months. Hard work in Persia made it necessary for him 
to take sick-leave; but ho has been busily engaged in working out the very valuable zoologi¬ 
cal collections he took home with him from those little explored regions. Ho has also been 
mindful of Indian Geology in giving to the Society of Arts an excellent abstract of out¬ 
work as illustrating the mineral resources of India, besides several papers of scientific interest 
read to the Geological Society and to the British Association. Mr. Fedden has been absent 
on sick-leave for tbe entire year. After a long struggle with an exhausting illness. 
Dr. Waagen was compelled to take sick-leave at the end of December 1872. Till the day 
of his departure he laboured at the description of tho Jurassic fossils of Kach, leaving the 
first portion of the work ready for publication, and a quantity of manuscript and plates 
iu an advanced state of preparation. The Survey was especially fortunate in securing the 
