1864.] REVIEW. 65 



REVIEW. 



Geological Survey op Canada. Report of Progress from 

 its Commencement to 1863. Lovell, Montreal. 



This large octavo, of 983 pages, illustrated with 498 wood-cuts, 

 and to be accompanied by an atlas of maps and sections, presents 

 a condensed view of the work of the Canadian Survey from its 

 commencement in 1843. It gives the results of the combined 

 labors of Sir W. E. Logan, Mr. Murray, Dr. Hunt, and Mr. 

 Billings, a staff not to be surpassed either in ability or energy, 

 and aided also by several able assistants, of whom Mr. Richardson 

 and Mr. Bell stand first. It is also to be observed that the 

 generous and liberal disposition of the Director of the Survey has 

 kept him in friendly relations with every one of any note as an 

 unofficial observer on Canadian Geology; and that in his Preface 

 he enumerates and frankly acknowledges all the services, large or 

 small, rendered by such persons before the institution of the Sur- 

 vey or during its progress. 



The work commences with an account of the Physical Geog- 

 raphy of Canada, presenting in few but well-chosen words the 

 general features of the country. A few pages are then devoted to 

 the nomenclature of the geological formations ; after which begins 

 the main portion of the work, devoted to a detailed description of 

 the formations occurring in Canada, beginning with the Lauren- 

 tian, the oldest of them all, and ending with the Devonian ; the 

 superficial geology being given in a separate chapter at the end. 

 The fossils are carefully noticed under each formation, with illus- 

 trations of characteristic species. 



The second leading division of the work is a description of 

 Canadian minerals, embracing many new facts of interest, ascer- 

 tained by the Chemist of the survey. Then follows by the same 

 hand what may be regarded as a treatise on rocks, which is prob- 

 ably the most valuable and reliable memoir on this important 

 subject in our language. 



This part of the Report ends at page 670 ; and beyond this, as 

 becomes a public survey, the remainder is occupied principally 

 with economical geology. Every useful rock or mineral occurring 

 in the country is noticed ; with details as to the places and condi- 

 tions in which it is found, and the extent to which it is worked ; 



Vol. I. K No. 1. 



