424 IOWA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE Vol. XXVI, 1919 



long ago jointly begun. Although Mr. Springer has delved alone 

 into the subject for more than twenty years his results cannot be 

 very well separated from those which were formerly carried on with 

 his distinguished colleague. 



The second installment of the great publication is now about to 

 leave the press. All of these unique rcclicrcJics from beginning to 

 end may be regarded as having been initiated and accomplished in 

 our state. It is to be regretted that Iowa could not have the pride 

 to give birth in print to the grandest scientific and philosophic off- 

 spring she ever conceived. A distant state and a guardian govern- 

 ment less slow to recognize the spark of genius, snatches from her 

 the one greatest honor of a century. 



All in all the systematic description, classification and illustration 

 of the fossil crinoids is the most conspicuous single effort of the 

 kind ever undertaken in this country. It is truly a colossal con- 

 tribution to our knowledge of ancient life. Of all places of earth 

 Iowa is the one from which it ordinarily might be least expected 

 to emanate. 



The continuation of the work soon to appear will equal that al- 

 ready published.-- It is devoted entirely to the Flexibiliate forms, 

 and will be superbly illustrated by an atlas of 100 large plates. 



GENESIS OF THE SILICIOUS LOAMS 



With the establishment by Iowa of systematic investigation of 

 the natural phenomena under the aegis of a state survey the larger 

 geographical problems rapidly took form. As data accumulated the 

 various themes became circumscribed, and resolved themselves into 

 fields all their own. Were it not for the tutelary supervision of the 

 survey our geological knowledge might be still floundering in the 

 slough of medievalism. First announcements of the results of many 

 of these inquiries which were of more than local import or of world- 

 wide interest, appeared in the Proceedings of our Academy. 



Among the first of these moot questions to be imposed upon the 

 attention of the officials of the survey was the derivation of the 

 vast deposits of fine silicious loam, which we designate by the title 

 of loess, and which mantle so much of our state. 



The belief almost universally held by earth students that the de- 

 posits of silicious marls associated with the till-sheets were of gla- 

 cial or lacustral origin long prevailed. In China it was long ago sug- 

 gested that this loess was wind-derived, but the idea never, until 

 recently, gained foothold elsewhere. 



==North American Crinoidea Plexibilia, 3 vols., 4 to. Washington 1920. 



