C— GEOLOGY. 67 



tion^is close in some respects with other sciences, more especially with 

 chemistry, zoology, botany, engineering and physics. 



This is not the place to discuss fully these various aspects, but let us 

 consider them briefly in their economic relations. 



Chemistry tells us of what constituents any material — organic or in- 

 organic — is composed. It shows us also how and under what natural 

 conditions changes in the chemical compositions of rocks and minerals have 

 taken place, what these changes signify, and their importance or otherwise 

 to mankind — the differences between economic minerals which at the sur- 

 face have certain characters, but which at varying depths below the surface 

 have entirely different ones. 



Palseozoology shows us which remains of the former fauna of a region 

 are still preserved in its rock-record, and Palisobotany similarly with respect 

 to the flora. These sciences come to the assistance of Geology and reveal 

 the true significance of these vestiges of creation that have been preserved. 

 They determine their nature and indicate to which section of the geneal- 

 ogical tree of life they belong. Thus Palseozoology, with its record of the 

 fauna from the Cambrian to the Recent period, shows us the divisions, 

 systems, and series of rocks containing certain types of fossils, specially 

 those which are characteristic, such as graptolites and trilobites of the 

 Palaeozoic division, the great reptiles of the Mesozoic, the mammals of the 

 Kainozoic. 



Palseobotany shows that certain types of plants characteristic of the 

 Carboniferous system are distinctly associated with strata containing 

 seams of black coal ; others, of the Jurassic, with beds of a younger black 

 coal ; still others, upward in geological time, of the Cretaceous system or 

 the Kainozoic division, with brown coal and lignite, with their remains of 

 characteristic plants, or of plants and moUusca. 



Therefore, when strata are found by him with fossils similar to those 

 mentioned the geologist knows to what system of rocks they belong, and 

 can then, in the case of the plants, hope to find beds of the kind of coal 

 usually found occurring with them ; or, conversely, when a bed of coal is 

 found he may search the associated beds for fossils to determine the system. 

 Thus, it can be seen that a geological training is required to note the 

 significance of any such discovery. 



The importance of the remote possessions of a great Empire is dependent 

 upon many factors— such as natural resources and their situation, physical 

 character of the country, lines of communication and transport, nature of 

 climate, soils and water-supply, density and distribution of population, 

 character of the peoples, conditions regarding agriculture and pasturage. 

 To develop these fully there should be a Government with wide vision and 

 foresight, capable and energetic, with a broad outlook on possibilities of 

 development, and ready to assist financially and sympathetically all 

 proposals that show reasonable prospects of economic success. 



A little consideration will show that a Geological Survey may have an 

 important influence upon the material advancement of such a possession — 

 a very important one in some cases, and less so in others. 



The extent to which geology is of benefit depends upon the geological 

 formations of the country. Some countries have conditions much more 

 favourable than others for the possession of natural resources that are of 



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