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the U. S. Geological Survey ; each year affording a more extensive 
knowledge of the geology of that State, which has been found to 
include all the Tertiary formations. Prof. Dall has since been 
engaged in examining and writing upon these additional collec- 
tions. Two volumes of his papers have already been published by 
the Wagner Institute, containing twenty-two plates of illustrations ; 
and another, by the same author, is in the course of preparation. 
Until recently, the question of the existence of Tertiary beds of 
Pliocene age in North and South Carolina had never been deter- 
mined, as geologists held different opinions, based upon the fossils 
that had been collected in those States in a desultory, unsystematic 
manner. In order to solve this question, the Wagner Institute 
authorized the Curator of its museum to explore the fossil beds in 
the eastern portion of those States in November, 1891. After four 
weeks’ work in the field, the question was satisfactorily determined 
that Pliocene beds exist in each of those States. This matter was 
fully discussed by Prof. Dall in Vol. ili, Part ii of the Zransactions 
of the Wagner Institute. 
The U. S. Geological Survey has generously céoperated with the 
Wagner Institute in this work, not only in the researches in the 
field, but in permitting one of its specialists, Prof. William H. 
Dall, to investigate the collections and to edit the volumes of the 
Transactions in which they are described. A new interest has 
been awakened in the study of our American Tertiary invertebrate 
palzeontology by the publications referred to. 
In order to further stimulate the study of that department of 
geology, the Wagner Free Institute of Science proposes, at an early 
date, to reprint T. A. Conrad’s book, the Medial Tertiary Fossils 
of the United States, the most important work pertaining to our 
Miocene formation. This book was published in the year 1838. It 
has been out of print for many years; a very limited number of 
copies only having been printed. 
A large portion of the specimens collected during these explora- 
tions are now arranged in the Free Museum of the Institute for the 
use of students. These explorations have been supplemented by 
others, in the Miocene beds of Maryland, Virginia and North Caro- 
lina, in order to supply additional subject-matter for the publica- 
tions and to enrich the museum. 
