GEOLOGICAL AND NATURAL HISTORY SURVEYS. 507 



J3KC. 2. This act shall take effect from its passiige. ^ 



Approved November 18, 1886. 



Under this law the appointiuent of State geologist and curator 

 of the State cabinet Avas conferred upon Ilev. G. W. Perry, who held 

 the office until obliged to resign, through ill health, in 1898. In 

 1896 the law was modified as below: 



It is hereby enacted hij the General Assemhly of the State of Vermont: 



Section 1. The State geologist shall during the next two years personally 

 inspect the mines and quarries now in operation within the State, also deposits 

 of minerals of economic value which have not been opened or developed. 



Sec. 2. Ke shall incorporate in his next biennial report the results of such 

 inspection, showing as far as possible the (piality and quantity of our marble, 

 granite, slate, soapstone, copper, and other mineral products; the extent of our 

 mines and quarries, and the methods of working the same. lie shall also make 

 as full a statement as possible of the undeveloped mineral deposits of promising 

 value, incidentally reporting unused water powers in the vicinity of said de- 

 posits. 



Sec. 3. For ilio prosecution of this work there shall be aPproprhite<l the sum 

 of .$l,.50O anunally for the period of two years. 



Approved November 24, 1896. 



Under these enactments Mr. Perry, as stated by Dr. George H. 

 Perkins, collected a considerable antoinit of material for a report, 

 which, however, he was unable to complete on account of long-con- 

 tinued illness. He therefore resigned early in the summer of 1898 

 and was succeeded by the present active incimibent. Dr. George H. 

 Perkins, above mentioned. Uj) to and including that of 1900 two 

 reports had been issued by Doctor Perkins — one on the marLle, 

 slate, and granite of the State (1898) and the second on its mineral 

 resources (1900). As noted in the act, the present survey receives 

 an appropriation of $l,r>00 annually. 



VIRGI>irTA. 



The first direct move in faAor of a geological survey of the Vir- 

 ginias would seem to have been the result of a letter Avritten by Peter 

 A, Brown, of Philadelphia, the corresponding secretary of the 

 (xeological Society of Pennsylvania, to His Excellency, John Floyd, 

 governor of Virginia. This letter, dated September BO, 183B, en- 

 larged on the supposed importance of the mineral resources of the 

 State and the great scientific discoveries which might be made 

 through a sj'stematic investigation under State auspices. The let- 

 ter was transmitted by Governor Floyd to the legislature, together 

 with his message of 1833-34, and the following recommendation : 



Whilst engaged in the improvement of the State by constructing roads for the 

 safe and speedy transportation of the products of .agriculture, we ouglit not to 

 1)0 unmindful of the great wealth which lies buried in the earth, which only 



