ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES. 23 



lecting, preserving, and transporting specimens of Natural History : 

 the three last-named volumes were presented by Dr. Ayres. 



Professor Whitney read the following communication in regard 

 to the progress of the State Geological Survey of California. 



The Act of the Legislature authorizing a geological survey of this State 

 was approved April 21st, 1860 ; but operations were not commenced until 

 about the first of December of that year, consequently the work has been in 

 progress for a little more than two years. 



The plan of the survey, according to the requirements of the act by which it 

 was organized, demands " an accurate and complete geological survey of the 

 State," and a report containing " a full and scientific description of its rocks, 

 fossils, soils, and minerals, and of its botanical and zoological productions." 

 Provision is also made for the collection of specimens in all departments of 

 geology and natural history, which specimens are to be deposited " in such place 

 as shall be hereafter provided for that purpose by the Legislature." 



The following persons have been employed on the survey since it was com- 

 menced : Professor W. H. Brewer, as Principal Assistant, and specially in 

 charge of the department of Botany and Agricultural Geology. Professor 

 Brewer, however, up to the present time, has been chiefly engaged in the gee- ' 

 logical field work of the Survey. Mr. William Ashburner was employed from 

 the commencement of the work, up to the spring of 1862, in the field ; and, for 

 a considerable portion of the time, in examining the gold-quartz mines and 

 machinery in the principal mining counties of the Sierra Nevada. Mr.'A. 

 Remond served as volunteer, in the field work, during the season of 1862. Mr. 

 W. M. Gabb took the place of Palaeontologist to the Survey at the beginning 

 of the year 1862, which position he still continues to hold. Mr. C. Averill was 

 connected with the Survey from its commencement up to the month of Feb- 

 ruary last, as Clerk, Commissary, and Barometrical Observer. Dr. J. G. 

 Cooper has been in charge of the department of Zoology, and has been em- 

 ployed, at intervals, as the financial condition of the Survey permitted, since 

 July 1st, 1861. In the topographical department, Mr. C. F. Hoffmann has 

 been employed constantly since March, 1861 ; and Mr. V. Wackenreuder, at 

 intervals, during the past year. 



The uncertainty peculiar to all undertakings of this kind in the United 

 States, arising from the necessity. of appealing to each successive Legislature 

 for the means of carrying on the work, and the disturbed state of the country 

 during the whole time since we commenced operations, as also the unfortunate 

 condition of the finances of the State, which has kept the treasury from one to 

 two years behind in the payment of the legislative appropriations, have com- 

 bined to render it difficult to arrange and carry out as systematic a plan for the 

 conduct of the work as would, under more favorable circumstances, have been 

 practicable. 



Two ideas have, however, as far as possible, governed the survey in its oper- 

 ations : the first was, to make, as rapidly as could be done, a reconnoissance of 



