LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL. 



To His Excellency, JOSEPH W. FIFER, 



Governor of Illinois: 

 Sm:- 



I have the honor to submit herewith the Eighth Volume 

 of the Geological Survey of Illinois. 



This volume, exclusive of the "Appendix," was prepared by the 

 late Professor A. H. WORTHEN, in accordance with an Act of the 

 Thirty-Fourth General Assembly of the State of Illinois, ap- 

 proved June 27, 1885, which provided ''That the Curator of 

 the State Historical Libraiy and Natural History Museum, who 

 is required to perform such duties as may be by Jaw required of 

 the State Geologist, shall during the ensuing two years, collect 



and pi'epare for publication a volume to be entitled Volume 8 



of the Geological Surrey of Illinois." For certain reasons the 

 contract with the State Printer was not signed until late in 

 1888, and in this interval Professor WORTHEN had died, May 

 6th, 1888. My commission as his successor, bears the date of 

 June 9th of the same year, and it became my duty to edit this 

 volume. 



The printing was commenced early in 1889. Neither I, nor 

 any of the authors could have foreseen that more than a year 

 and a half would be needed for its completion. The new 



