GENERAL INTRODUCTION. 



The Geological and Natural History Survey of Minnesota, 

 was established by a legislative act approved by the Governor 

 of the State March 1st, 1872. "There is no question," to quote 

 the words of the State Geologist, "but one of the prime motives 

 of the law^ w^as to introduce another auxiliary force into the 

 State University, by making it a center whence should radiate 

 information concerning the natural features of the state, and 

 toward which should gravitate all collections of natural history 

 that should otherwise be brought to light." Taking the state- 

 ment in its most comprehensive sense, it is undoubtedly true ; 

 and the fact that the State Geologist has always been enrolled 

 with the faculty of the University in the catalogue, and that 

 the law explicitly makes the Board of Regents the director of 

 the survey, fully justifies the statement in regard to the rela- 

 tion of the survey to the University, and indicates an element 

 of excellence not to be found in the laws creating similar sur- 

 veys in other states. 



At the time the present survey was organized it seemed de- 

 sirable for various reasons to pay more attention to the geology 

 of the state than to the botany and the zoology, and accord- 

 ingly a geologist was appointed to take charge of the survey 

 w^ork. This was in accordance with the spirit of the times. 

 And in accordance with an established custom, the geologist of 

 the survey was generally called the State Geologist, an appel- 

 lation that common usage has given the weight of a title, 

 though it never was officially conferred as such. For many 

 years the "Natural History Survey,"" existed only in the wisely 

 formulated law, for which excellent and comprehensive law we 

 owe thanks to Dr. Wm. W. Folwell, who was at that time pre- 

 sident of the University. 



Later on the importance and necessity of beginning the botan- 

 ical and the zoological work was now and then recognized in the 

 appearance of papers relating to the flora and fauna of the state. 

 Naturally, however, the botanical and zoological work was not 

 prosecuted with the same vigor and accuracy as the geological, 

 for the day had gone by when one man could master all sciences. 

 And the geologist of to-day finds problems enough in geology 

 to engage all his time and tax all his energy and genius. 



It was the recognition of these facts as well as the desire to 

 make a more efficient " auxiliary force"" of the survey contem- 

 plated in the law that prompted the Board of Regents to relieve 

 the State Geologist of the excess of requirements and put the 



