228 report — 1884. 



by the publication of Greenougb's ' Geological Map of England and 

 Wales' (1819-20), a survey was commenced by Dufrenoy and Elie de 

 Beaumont, under tbe direction of Brocbant de Villiers. From 1822 to 

 1825 tbe surveyors were studying field geology in England. In 1825 

 tbe work was commenced in France, De Beaumont taking tbe east, 

 Dufrenoy tbe west. Tbere were two assistants, and tbe survey was 

 completed in 1830. 



The map, ' Carte Geologique de la France,' is in 6 sheets, scale 

 1 : 500,000. It was published in 1840-42 ; the two volumes of ' Explica- 

 tion ' in 1841 and 1848. 



A reduction of this map ('Tableau d' Assemblage '), scale 

 1 : 2,000,000, was published in 1841. 



Tbere are a large number of maps and memoirs of Departments, 

 of which great use is made by tbe surveyors. Some are by private geo- 

 logists, but most are by official mining engineers. These maps are on 

 various scales ; some, as that of the Pas de Calais (by Du Souich, 1851) 

 on the full scale of 1 : 80,000. 



A Geological Map of France in 48 sheets, scale 1 : 500,000, is in 

 preparation by C. Vasseur and L. Carez. 



Italy. 

 Beale Comitato Oeologico d' Italia (Rome). 1 



This survey was commenced in 1868, when the capital was Florence. 

 It was directed by a committee of Professors at Universities and 

 Engineers of Mines. In 1873, when the chief office and place of publica- 

 tion were transferred to Rome, tbe staff was reorganised ; the Comitato 

 (with Professor Meneghini as president) retained mainly a consulting 

 power, the real chief of the survey being F. Giordano, tbe present director. 

 The staff consists of 7 geologists, 3 assistants, and a paleontologist. 



The systematic and detailed investigation of the country dates from 

 1877, and was commenced in Sicily ; in 1879 the survey was extended to 

 the Apuan Alps and tbe Roman Campagna. The scale adopted for the 

 survey is usually 1 I 50,000 ; areas of special interest, such as those men- 

 tioned above, are surveyed on the scale of 1 : 25,000. Recently some 

 surveys have been made on tbe scale of 1 : 10,000— of Elba, Ischia, 

 and the environs of Rome. 



A general map (1 : 1,111,111) was published in 1881 : another, on 

 the scale of 1 : 500,000, is now in preparation, Sicily being published 



(1883). . ■? 



The systematic publication of the survey map will be on the scale of 

 1 : 100,000, in 277 sheets, those of Sicily being nearly ready for issue. 2 



Districts of special importance will be published on the scale of 

 1 : 25,000, with contours ; Elba, in two sheets, is now ready. 



In the topographical maps prepared by the Italian Government (of 

 which there are 18, on various scales), the meridian is reckoned from 

 Rome (Monte Mario), which is 12° 28' E. of Greenwich. Tbere is a 

 topographical map, prepared by the Austrian Government, on the scale 

 of 1 : 75,000, in which the meridian is reckoned from Ferro ; but this 

 map is not used by the Geological Survey. 



1 For a fuller account of this Survey, see Nature, Nov. 24, 1881. 



3 Four sheets, with a sheet of sections, were published at the end of 1884. 





