506 THE JOURNAL OF GEOLOGY. 



minerals and soils was begun by him. This year proved to be 

 the last of the organization, and if this fact had been foreseen 

 a somewhat different direction would undoubtedly have been 

 given to the work of the corps. But as it was, the time was 

 turned to good account. The second annual report, made to 

 the Governor in December, 1838, consisted of 286 pages, and 

 comprises papers from Prof. W. W. Mather, Col. C. Whittlesey, 

 Col. J. W. Foster, Prof. C. Briggs, Jr., Drs. J. P. Kirtland and 

 John Locke. 



Dr. Mather's report gives the results of a reconnoissance, 

 extended to all the principal divisions of the State, and that gave 

 apparently for the first time a clear view of the entire geological 

 column of Ohio. He also continued the discussion of the soils 

 of the State, to which he had referred in his previous report, and 

 published the system of analysis which was to be applied to the 

 coals and ores of the State. Colonel Whittlesey confined him- 

 self mainly to the topography of the State, but discussing at 

 some length the variation of the magnetic needle and giving a 

 general section from Cleveland across the Western Reserve. 

 The most important part of his report was the determination of 

 the dip of the strata in central and southern Ohio. Colonel 

 Foster described the geology of Muskingum and Licking coun- 

 ties and the adjacent regions. Professor Briggs' report covered 

 a brief examination of very distinct districts of the State, viz., 

 Wood and Crawford counties in the north, Athens and Hocking 

 in the south, and Tuscarawas in the central portion of the State. 

 The most valuable part, of his report pertains to the Coal Meas- 

 ures, the order of which was coming to be quite clearly seen. 

 Professor Kirtland published a report of great value on the 

 zoology of Ohio, which is still regarded with interest by all 

 students in this field. Dr. John Locke's geological report on 

 the formations of southwestern Ohio and particularly of Adams 

 county, Ohio, is a paper of great interest and permanent 

 value. 



The financial stress that began to overspread the entire 

 country in 1837 was the principal cause of the abrupt discon- 



