18 
Records of the Geological Survey of India. 
[voi,. VIIT, 
Tlie strise and grooves run in long parallel lines, having directions between north-east and 
north-north-east, oblique to the slope of the surface; and from the manner in which the 
rock is affected at the edges of the few planes of jointing, it can be inferred that the move¬ 
ment was up the slope. It is, of course, not certain that the present inclination of this 
surface is the same as when the scoring was produced. The Takhirs have undergone con¬ 
siderable crushing and displacement, though this might well have occurred in soft strata 
without much affecting the hard rocks against which they rest; but the actual conditions 
are so far confirmatory of the view we have been led to—of an ice-raft being drifted against 
and impelled up an opposing rock surface. 
The boulder-bed itself is strongly developed in the district, especially to the north, 
where the contained masses of foreign rock—limestone, quartzite, granite {pegmatite and 
protogine ) &o.—are of huge size and very numerous. In the immediate vicinity of Irai, 
the boulders are for the most part small, a few attaining a major diameter of 2 feet and even 
2 feet 6 inches. Some of these boulders are worn smooth on certain sides only, and in the 
direction of the longest diameter ; others more rounded have a beautifully polished surface : 
they are moreover striated and scored in fine parallel straight lines, precisely similar to the 
rock-surface above described, and resulting evidently from glacial motion or ‘ground-ice.’ 
These boulders are enclosed in a fine gravelly bed of heterogeneous material, conglomera¬ 
tic near the base, and intermingled with angular rough blocks and rock fragments. 
It would appear that the freighted ice-mass had travelled a long distance from the south¬ 
west, through the Utnur and Edlabad (Idulabad) districts, where rocks occur of the same 
composition as that of the several boulders. 
The evidences for the glacial origin of these deposits is as conclusive as that for the ice- 
age formations of Europe. 
The latitude of Irai is 19° S3', elevation under 900 feet; the most southerly known 
position of the Talchir boulder-bed is latitude 17° 20', and only a little above the level of 
the sea. 
Bombay, ^ 
September, 1871 . 1 
Trials of Banigan.i Fire-bricks, by T. W. Hughes and H. B. Medeicott, 
Geological Survey of India. 
Amongst other investigations connected with the projects to utilize the Indian iron-ores, 
some fire-bricks that were furnished by the firm of Messrs. Burn and Company were ex¬ 
amined and tested in September last. 
They were made from various clays obtained in the neighbourhood of Kaniganj and 
elsewhere, and were highly recommended as having stood the wear and tear of ordinary 
cupolas, and it was hoped that they would be found capable of standing the more heavy work of 
a blast furnace. It will be seen, however, from the subjoined details of my experiments, that 
there were some defects in their composition, and that although they were quite as good, or 
rather somewhat superior to the Stourbridge fire-bricks which could be procured at the time, 
they fell short of the excellence of Glenboig. 
Subsequent trials, however, of the same kind and degree as those conducted in the first 
instance were made by Mr. Medlicott on bricks improved as suggested in the first report, and 
his verdict was “ that several of them stood the test perfectly, showing no sign of cracking or 
of vitrification.” These latter trials were made in the presence of Mr. Whitelaw, Manager of 
