Reviews — United States Geological Survey. 35 



Diego to Eastport, applies for knowledge of every sort concerning the 

 earth's crust and its mineral constituents. To the people of this 

 country and, in a surprising degree, to the citizens of other countries, 

 the Survey is the principal source of geologic information regarding 

 not only the geology of the United States and its possessions but also 

 that of Mexico, Central America, and even South America. Through 

 its correspondence it is asked for data regarding the geology and 

 mineral deposits of all parts of the world. The geologic branch has 

 therefore the double task of geologic surveying, including the 

 investigation, description, and mapping of the geology and mineral 

 deposits of all parts of the country, the classification of the public 

 lands, and the publication of the results of its work on the one hand, 

 and of furnishing to the public miscellaneous geologic information 

 derived from all sources on the other." The Geologic Branch is 

 divided into four divisions, viz. geology, Alaskan mineral resources, 

 mineral resources, chemical and physical researches, which though 

 working on independent lines yet co-operate effectively with one 

 another. We read that the scientific staff of the division of 

 geology at the beginning of the year consisted of 66 geologists, 

 33 associate geologists, 26 assistant geologists, 15 junior geologists 

 and 22 geologic aids, a total of 162. It must further be 

 remembered that besides the Federal Survey many, if not all, the 

 States have their own Bureaus of Mines and Geological Surveys, and 

 much of the field-investigation and palaeontological research has been 

 conducted in connexion with the local staffs. In order to secure 

 uniformity in the geological names the question is considered by 

 a standing committee of the branch, the secretary of which scrutinizes 

 the nomenclature and classification in all manuscripts submitted for 

 publication. The work of the division of chemical and physical 

 research is not wholly confined to the customary routine analyses, but 

 includes many investigations of considerable scientific interest. The 

 division of mineral resources is responsible for that valuable annual 

 return entitled " Mineral Kesources of the United States " ; upon its 

 preparation no fewer than sixty persons are wholly or partly engaged. 



The Topographic Branch is engaged on geodetic work, and up to 

 date has mapped 40 - 2 per cent of the entire country; its skilled staff 

 numbers 159. One of the most important objects of the work carried 

 on by the Water Resources Branch is the investigation of underground 

 water with the view of the irrigation of arid areas; the skilled staff 

 numbers 76. 



The fourth Branch, viz. the Land Classification Board, which was 

 the origin of the Survey, collates the results of the investigation of 

 public lands made by the branches already mentioned. Since the 

 classifications required by the public lands laws fall into two broad 

 groups, depending upon the presence or absence of mineral deposits 

 or of water respectively, the Board is divided into two divisions, the 

 one for mineral and the other for hydrographic classification. Last 

 of all we have the Publication and Administration Branches. The 

 total expenditure on the whole Survey amounts to nearly one and 

 a half million dollars. 



This is not the place to discuss at length the points suggested by 



