RECORDS 
OF THE 
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OE INDIA 
Part 1.] 1876. [February. 
Annual Repoet of the Geological Suevey of India and of the Geological Museum, 
Calcutta, foe the year 1875. 
The close of another year brings with it the duty of reporting briefly the progress made 
during the past twelve months. As must almost necessarily be the case in such a department 
as the Geological Survey of India, the full number of the officers in the establishment has 
never actually been at work during the year; while oven of those present and actively 
engaged, some have had their time almost fully occupied with subjects, not immediately 
forming a part of the Survey operations, although intimately connected with them. 
In this way, Mr. W. T. Blanford was very fully occupied in the examination and 
description of the zoological collections collected in Yarkand by the late Dr. Stoliczka, 
and in arranging for publication the geological notes of the same trip. Mr. F. R. Mallet 
was absent on three months’ leave, Mr. llacket was absent on furlough till within a couple 
of months of the close of the year, and D r. W. Waage n, who had only returned from Europe 
at the beginning of the season, was obliged again to leave India, and, to our great regret, and 
the very serious loss of the Survey, felt compelled to resign all hopes of returning. 
Mr. Medlicott’s labours in the earlier part of the year were confined to the coal-fields 
in the Satpura hills. Full notes of his researches have been already published, so that it is 
unnecessary to enter into any detail here. One important fact may be noticed. Towards the 
close of the season, Mr. Medlicott was fortunate enough to notice the occurrence of rocks, 
which he considers as undoubtedly representative of the upper part of the series accompany¬ 
ing the coal-bearing rocks elsewhere, at a point much further to the west than these had been 
known previously to occur. And he justly bases on the occurrence of these rocks a recom¬ 
mendation for further detailed search in the district, and suggests the propriety, seeing the 
vast importance of a supply of coal in that neighbourhood, of borings to test the occurrence of 
any such deposits. It would he essential that such borings, if attempted, should be carried to 
a very considerable depth, before any definite reply to the question of the existence of coal 
could bo obtained. And in estimating the value of the chances, it will he essential to re¬ 
member, as Mr. Medlicott himself remarks, that even if the coal deposits should be proved, 
it is impossible to make even a probable guess, as to the depth beneath the surface at which 
they are likely to lie, “ 2,000 is as likely as 500 feet.” 
Unless coal should bo found in very considerable abundance, and most favorably placed 
as to dip, &c., I need scarcely say that mining it at a depth of 2,000 feet would be a matter 
