RECORDS 
OF THE 
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OE INDIA. 
Part 1.] 1875. [February. 
Annual Report of the Geological Sukvey of India, and of the Geological 
Museum, Calcutta, for the tear 1874. 
The labours of the Geological Survey of India have been, during the past season, almost 
entirely under the control and direction of Mr. H. B. Medlicott, who was officiating as Super¬ 
intendent during my absence on leave. As stated in the report for last year, I remained for 
some time at Vienna arranging for the proper exhibition of the collections forwarded by the 
Geological Survey of India; this delay, however, did not tend to the improvement of my 
health, and I was in consequence not able to return to duty in India at as early a date as 
I had hoped. My first duty, on resuming charge of the survejq is now to express my high 
sense of the great zeal and enefgy with which Mr. Medlicott devoted himself to. the duties 
imposed on him, and the wide knowledge of Indian Geological work and the high intelli¬ 
gence which he brought to bear on the researches of the survey, for which I am greatly 
indebted to him. 
During almost the entire year, in addition to my own absence, the Geological Survey 
was also deprived of the aid of Mr. W. T. Blanf ord. He was, during this period, busily en¬ 
gaged in working out and passing to press the results of his examination of parts of Persia, 
while accompanying the Seistan Boundary Commission as Naturalist and Geologist. These 
researches, regarding a country but little known, and at tbe same time so intimately con¬ 
nected with Western India and Sind, will, I have no doubt, prove of very high value and 
interest to Indian Geologists. Their publication may now be looked for soon. Mr. Blanford 
resumed his duties on the Geological Survey about the middle of December, and then visited 
Surat district with a view to advise the authoi'ities on the probabilities of obtaining fresh and 
good water in many places where now the supply is bad, salt, and braekisb. Mr. Blanford 
has since then proceeded to take up the general examination of the Province of Sind. 
Another of our staff who was absent at the commencement of last year, and whose 
return we looked for with great interest, has fallen a sacrifice to his over-exertion in the 
cause of science. Dr. P. Stoliczka, who had been, as reported last, year, attached to the 
Yarkand mission under Sir T. Douglas Forsyth, had, though with much suffering, safely 
accomplished the journey to Kashgar, and had also on his return had a rapid and hurried 
ride across the Pamir Steppe, which he had often longed to see, and was returning to his 
work in India laden with rich and valuable zoological collections and with abundant notes 
to work out his results, when he again felt the extreme temperature of the Karakorum pass. 
For a couple of days from 16th June he worked on quietly, and though with suffering, con¬ 
tinued the usual marches of the party with whom he was travelling. On the afternoon of 
the 18th, when more than half the day’s inarch had been completed safely, he noticed some- 
