No. 21 ] FIFTH BIENNIAL REPORT 13 



aim of advancing our knowledge of the geology and natural 

 history of the state ; second, the economic aim of leading to the 

 most effective conservation and utilization of the resources of the 

 state; third, the educational aim of promoting the work of the 

 schools of the state by the publication of the results of investiga- 

 tion in a form adapted for the use of teachers. 



It will be appropriate to outline briefly the plans adopted for 

 the carrying out of these objects, and the work which has been 

 already accomplished, or which is in progress. 



The plan of organization which was outlined in the first re- 

 port has been retained. Only one salaried officer has been ap- 

 pointed by the Commissioners ; viz., the Superintendent. Other 

 scientific men have been engaged to investigate particular sub- 

 jects and prepare reports or bulletins thereon. In the great 

 majority of cases, the terms of contract with these scientific men 

 have been that the investigator should receive a certain sum as 

 compensation when the bulletin presented was accepted by the 

 Superintendent, and that a certain allowance should also be made 

 for the expenses of the work, the allotment for expenses to be 

 drawn upon from time to time as the expenses were actually 

 incurred. In some cases, however, this form of contract has been 

 impracticable, as investigations have been commenced and prose- 

 cuted in regard to which it could not be foreseen how soon they 

 would result in conclusions definite enough for publication. In 

 such cases the agreement has been to pay the investigator a small 

 sum per diem, a maximum limit being prescribed in every such 

 case. 



Each report prepared is published as a separate bulletin, the 

 bulletins being numbered consecutively, generally in the order 

 in which they are received. Each bulletin bears the name of 

 the author or the names of the authors, and each author is 

 responsible for his own work. The bulletins are issued in paper 

 covers, but a part of the edition is reserved for binding. Bulle- 

 tins 1 to 5 have been bound as Vol. I., Bulletins 6 to 12 as Vol. 

 II., and Bulletins 13 to 15 as Vol III. The bound volumes are 

 especially desirable for public libraries and similar institutions, 

 in which complete sets of our publications are to be preserved. 

 The pamphlet form, in which each bulletin is complete in itself, 

 is convenient for the large number of students, teachers, and 

 others who have use for some particular bulletin. The publica- 

 tions of the Survey are distributed by the State Librarian. They 

 are given liberally to colleges, public libraries, geological surveys, 

 and other scientific institutions, and to scientific men of repute 

 in the branches of science with which the respective bulletins are 

 concerned. In many cases books and papers of great value are 

 received in exchange for the publications of the Survey. All 



