3.  A peculiar formation, of ’widespread occurrence in the tropical and subtropical regions of the world’.  It is ordinarily of a reddish ferruginous or brick-dust colour, sometimes deepened into dark red.  Apparently the special character which distinguishes laterite from other forms of red-coloured weathering is the presence of hydrous oxide of alumina in varying proportions. . . .  ’Though there is still a great deal of uncertainty about the way in which laterite was formed, the facts which are known of its distribution seem to show that it is a distinct form of weathering, which is confined to low latitudes and humid climates; its formation seems to have been a slow process, only possible on flat or nearly flat surfaces, where surface rain-wash could not act’ (Oldham, in The Oxford Survey of the British Empire, vol. ii, Asia, p. 10:  Oxford, 1914).  It hardens and darkens by exposure to air, and is occasionally used as a building stone.

4.  The Sagar mint was erected in 1820 by Captain Presgrave, the assay master, and used to employ four hundred men, but, after about ten or twelve years, the business was transferred to Calcutta, and the buildings converted to other uses (C.  P. Gazetteer, 1870).  Mints are now kept up at Calcutta and Bombay only.  The Bias is a small stream flowing into the Sunar river, and belonging to the Jumna river system.  The name is printed Beeose in the original edition.

5.  Since the author’s time the conditions have been completely changed by the introduction of railways.  The East Indian, Great Indian Peninsular, and other railways now enter the Nerbudda Valley, so that the produce of most districts can be readily transported to distant markets.  A large enhancement of the land revenue has been obtained by revisions of the settlement.

6.  Details will be found in the Central Provinces Gazetteer (1870).  The references are collected under the head ‘Iron’ in the index to that work.  Chapter VIII of Ball’s Economic Geology of India gives full information concerning the iron mines of the Central Provinces and all parts of India.  That work forms Part III of the Manual of the Geology of India.

7.  The soil of the valley of the Nerbudda, and that of the Nerbudda and Sagar territories generally, is formed for the most part of the detritus of trap-rocks that everywhere covered the sandstone of the Vindhya and Satpura ranges which run through these territories.  This basaltic detritus forms what is called the black cotton soil by the English, for what reason I know not. [W.  H. S.] The reason is that cotton is very largely grown in the Nerbudda Valley, both on the black soil and other soils.  In Bundelkhand the black, friable soil, often with a high proportion of organic matter, is called ‘mar’, and is chiefly devoted to raising crops of wheat, gram, or chick-pea (Cicer arietinum), linseed, and joar (Holcus sorghum).  Cotton is also