98 THE JOURNAL OF GEOLOGY. 



for a rational account of its physical features, presented in the 

 light of modern research ? No such account exists. The 

 Empire state is no better off ; perhaps not so well. In both these 

 states, as in all others, local physical geography is a most 

 attractive field. It is through this field that the scholars should 

 be led out to see the rest of the world ; yet the teachers have 

 not sufficient means of presenting the facts of the subject to their 

 classes. To most persons the facts of our home geography are 

 really unknown. A few investigators, mostly members of geo- 

 logical surveys, possess a more or less intimate personal knowl- 

 edge of their states; but it is too often stored only in their 

 minds, and there remains inaccessible to others, unless by per- 

 sonal interview. It is indeed rather curious that the state geo- 

 logical surveys have not before now undertaken systematic 

 geographical descriptions of their areas ; much more extended 

 than the too brief chapters with which the serious geological 

 descriptions are often prefaced. The geographical descriptions 

 will never be well done until they are made the work of well 

 trained specialists, whose first attention is directed to this sub- 

 ject. The stratigrapher, the petrographer, and the paleontolo- 

 gist are too fully occupied with their own studies to undertake 

 geographical studies at the same time, even if they had the proper 

 preparation for doing so. The effort at double investigation is 

 seldom successful. In the present stage of study it is more 

 economical to give each investigator a single problem over a 

 whole state, than to assign to one person all the problems of a 

 limited district. 



It does not seem improbable that in the near future a number 

 of our state surveys may undertake studies in this neglected field, 

 and thus furnish to a new class of readers a fund of material for 

 which they have long been waiting. The teachers of a state will 

 welcome geographical chapters in the annual reports of their 

 survey on the physical features of their home district. The 

 surveys will certainly welcome the new support and interest that 

 will thus be awakened in their work. The geographical chapters 

 may for a time have to be prefaced with introductions, after the 



