The term laterite was first introduced by Buchanan in 1800 (published in 1907) for certain ferruginous rocks occurring as a mantle over gneissic rocks in Malabar. Systematic study of laterite and its varients was started in India during the end of last century by Mallet (1881, 1883), and was continued by Holland (1903), Wetherel (1906), Middlemiss (1905, 1906,1907), and Burton (1917). Later Fox (1923, 1932) made an extensive study of lateritic bauxite in India. During later years a comparatively detailed study of all the bauxite and aluminous laterite occurrences in India was made by Dey (1942), Krishnan (1942), Wadia (1946), Roy Chowdhury (1943 to 1958) and score of others. Recent detailed studies by Roy Chowdhury, Alwar and Venkatesh (1962) Sahasrabhude (1961) have contributed to a better appreciation of the laterite problem.