4o6 NATURAL SCIENCE. Dec. 



germane to our remarks on the Queensland Survey in the preceding 

 paragraph. 



It appears that additional appropriation has been made, providing 

 for the gauging of the water supply of the United States, and for the 

 investigation of the artesian water areas. This was by no means before 

 it was required ; for the information constantly demanded from the 

 Survey, concerning the water resources of the country, is far more 

 than it is at present in a position to give. Under Major Powell's 

 administration an excellent beginning was made, but it was only a 

 beginning, and by no means sufficient knowledge was obtained to 

 enable the Survey to solve the various problems that are continually 

 presented for solution. The mere fact that so many applications are 

 made to the Survey shows that the American public is at last awaking 

 to the fact that a knowledge of geology may save them many thousands 

 of dollars. 



The hydrographic work of a Survey must be based not only on 

 geology and topography, but on meteorological records. The variation 

 in rainfall on the one hand, and in barometric pressure on the other, 

 are potent factors in determining the annual or seasonal yield of any 

 given district. Meteorological information may no doubt be obtained 

 from the already constituted Weather Bureau of the U.S. 

 Government ; but, as was pointed out in our review of \V. B. Clarke's 

 " Climatology of Maryland " (Natural Science, vol. v., p. 148), the 

 climate of a country is itself largely dependent on its topography and 

 geology. Thus the whole work falls most naturally into the charge 

 of the Geological Survey. We learn from the journal of Geology that 

 " the organisation of the department of hydrographic work under the 

 present limited appropriation is under the charge of Mr. F. H. Newell, 

 who is assisted by Mr. Arthur Davis. Both of these gentlemen are 

 trained topographers, and have had long experience in such hydro- 

 graphic work as is contemplated by the Survey. At present they are 

 largely engaged upon the special study of the water supply of the great 

 arid and semi-arid regions of the interior, employing local assistance 

 wherever parties are found who are interested in the work. A large 

 amount of this assistance is voluntary, so that they are able to obtain 

 much more extensive results than would otherwise be possible with 

 the resources at command. The railroads, especially, are giving much 

 assistance by having their bridge-tenders read the river gauges that 

 have been set up under the direction of Mr. Newell." 



Mr. Salisbury also informs his readers that the Director of the 

 U.S. Geological Survey proposes to establish a laboratory for the 

 study of materials used for road-making. This, it is believed, will give 

 a great impulse to the improvement of highways throughout the land. 



Hitherto much money has been wasted owing to the employment 

 of inappropriate road-metal, which produced roads dusty in summer 

 and muddy in winter. " Inferior materials have sometimes been used, 

 when, in the immediate vicinity, there were other materials which. 



