ence between the lower Tertiary shells, and those now existing in the temperate seas of Europe and America? Is it not in the general tropical aspect of the one, as compared with the more temperate facies of the other? We speak of the group considered as a whole, not of individual species. Take a series of English Eocene fossils, and compare them with a series of existing shells, collected on the one hand from the shores of Northern Europe, and on the other from the shores of Africa or Asia; from the former they will be found to be totally distinct, to the latter they will be seen to bear a very marked resemblance, a resemblance so marked, that it often requires a close examination and nice discrimination, to note the differences. Was there not, then, a similar climatal difference in the shells of former periods, and are we not reasoning altogether on false grounds, when we seek to establish identity in epoch from identity in general character, between fossiliferous rocks in the tropical regions of our Indian empire, and the temperate and boreal districts of Europe.

We accept, therefore, not only as convenient and useful, but as philosophical and true, the attempt made by the officers of the Geological Survey in this country, to establish the real succession of the rocks, and to give to the separate groups local names; indicating at the same time their probable analogues in European classification, rather than to define this group as "Oolitic" that as "Cretaceous," &c. Much, very much, yet remains to be done, before any such accurate identification of rocks in this country with those in Europe, can be satisfactorily accomplished.

Further, there is the important series of beds associated with the great coal deposits of this country. What is its geological age? This is as yet altogether undetermined. This assertion may perhaps startle some of our readers. We know that it has very plausibly been put down as of the Oolitic epoch, and it may be so, and we fully appreciate the careful elaboration of the argument in the hands of the Rev. Mr. Hislop. But it must be remembered that his reasonings depend on misconceptions, and are, therefore, to a great extent valueless. The fossil evidence he has brought together has been accumulated from beds which he believed to belong to one and the same series, but which have since been proved to be of totally different epochs. And the necessary consequence of this is, that although a portion of these rocks may finally be proved to belong to the Oolitic period, still the remainder must be of different series. What then are these? The discovery by Mr. Hislop of many Ceratodus teeth at Malèdi, South of Nagpore (which were exhibited to the Asiatic Society not long since by Mr. Oldham,) seems to prove that

some at least of these beds are of Triassic age,* while the Permian analogies of the reptilian remains found in the same neighbourhood, and close to the same locality, were pointed out by the Geological Survey in their report on Talcheer. In the Himalaya we know for a certainty of the occurrence of Jurassic, Liassic, Triassic, Permian, Carboniferous and Silurian rocks: and yet it is scarcely using too strong a phrase to say we know nothing more than the mere fact of their occurrence.

Here, then, is a rich store of questions both theoretical and practical to interest geologists, for ages to come. Let no one, who has an opportunity of contributing a single fact to the general stock, hesitate to do so. So little is in reality known, that in all probability, however trivial that fact may appear, it will prove novel. And let all bear constantly in mind that the area to be examined is so immense, and the labourers as yet so few, it is only by a combination of detached results and by a grouping of facts, in themselves isolated and useless, but which others prove the key to much that is now concealed, that any large success can be hoped for.

may to

What a grand picture will one day be worked up from the many rough sketches which are now being coarsely outlined here and there, when we shall be able to trace out the cycle of changes through which this land has passed; to depict the successive rising of its mountain ranges from the depths of the ocean; to tell the times and seasons when first its massive ghats reared their huge summits; to map out its old shores, to track its bays and gulfs and deltas; to see the swamps in which wallowed the Hippopotamus of old, and the forest glades where fed the Mastodon, or the more sandy plains over which the Sivatherion roamed; and to trace through all these mighty revolutions, organic and inorganic, the gradual adaptation of the surface for its final occupation by man-in a word, when we shall be able to picture forth in full detail the PHYSICAL HISTORY of our Indian Empire!

* Mr. Oldham years since alluded to the Triassic aspect of some of the fossil plants of the Rajmahal hills.—Jour. As. Soc. Bengal, 1854, p. 263.

MAROH, 1859.

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ART. VIII.-Reports on the Indian Service Funds. Various years.

THE only data, so far as we are aware, applicable to the mortality of Christian female life in India, is that afforded by the records of the Provident Funds established in connexion with the Indian Civil and Military Services. But owing to the imperfect manner in which, at an early period, many of the fund registers. appear to have been kept, these data are of a very limited character, and we have thus less hesitation in introducing the following observations touching the mortality among the female nominees and incumbents on the Uncovenanted Service Family Pension Fund of Bengal.

It appears that during the twenty years ending 30th April 1857, 825 married females were admitted to the benefits of the Fund, of whom during that period 128 died, 135 discontinued connexion with the Fund, and 562 were alive and on the institution at the expiry of the term. In the lists furnished to uswhich we had occasion to examine in connexion with another enquiry-Europeans and Eurasians are not distinguished, but of 945 male members of the Fund no less than 75 per cent., or about three-fourths, are Eurasians, and it is believed that even a larger proportion of the females are persons of mixed European and Asiatic parentage or the descendants of such-a class conventionally termed in India, "East Indians" or "Eu

rasians."

In all investigations into the mortality among females on the Indian funds, it has been found necessary to make a clear distinction between the married women and the widows. The latter-more especially the widows of Covenanted Civil and Military officers-almost invariably return to Europe, or retire to some of the hill sanataria in India; but the former, we may suppose, have to accompany their husbands and share to a certain extent in the risks and vicissitudes incidental to a residence in India.

We shall, in the first instance, exhibit the results on the whole of the experience, and then indicate the difference between the mortality of the married women and widows, so far as revealed by the limited data now under observation.

In the explanation of the following table containing the principal elementary facts from which to deduce the rate of mortality applicable to married women and widows on the Uncovenanted Fund, we have adopted very nearly the phraseology employed by Mr. Neison on similar occasions, upon which it would be difficult to improve.

a. Represents the age.

b.

C.

age.

The number of subscribers entering at each age.

The number remaining under observation from each preceding Thus five entered at age fifteen, of whom two come under one of the contingencies contemplated in the succeeding columns, and the remaining three are re-entered as under observation at age sixteen, when other twenty enter, there being then twenty-three under observation in all, of whom two pass from notice at 30th April 1857, and the remaining twenty-one are entered in this column opposite age seventeen.

d. The total number under observation at each age. Thus there were twenty-one remaining under observation from the preceding age at age seventeen, which added to the twenty-seven entering at that age makes forty-eight in all, of whom one dies, one withdraws, and four are alive at 30th April 1857, leaving forty-two to be carried forward to column c opposite age eighteen.

e. The number dying at each age.

f. Those whose connexion with the Fund is discontinued.

m.

n.

0.

P.

The number alive.

The total of columns e, f, and m.

One-half of the numbers in column b.
One-half of the numbers in column ƒ.

q. Total of o and p.

2. The number exposed to one entire year's risk of mortality; and is obtained for each age, by deducting the number in column q from the number in column d opposite the age. As subscribers enter at various periods throughout the year, the persons represented by the numbers in column bare, one with another, not subject to more than six months' risk, or which is the same thing one-half of them to a year's risk. And as nominees discontinue at various periods, throughout the year, they are, one with another, subject to only six months' risk in that year, or one-half of them to a whole year's risk. Hence one-half of the number entered, and one-half of the number discontinued, have to be deducted from the gross number under observation, as exhibited in column d, the residue in column r, being the number exposed to a complete year's risk.