Editorials. 



The United States Geological Survey is to be congratulated 

 upon the appearance of the first atlas sheets of the geological map 

 of the United States which, although still considered as preliminary 

 to the regular edition, may be taken as essentially finished, and 

 as embodying the chief features which will characterize the com- 

 pleted work. Each atlas consists of one portion of the whole 

 map printed in four ways : one presenting the topography by 

 itself ; one, the areal geology ; another, the geological structure 

 by means of cross sections, and a fourth, the features of economic 

 importance. Accompanying these are sheets of text, one of 

 which explains certain elementary concepts of the science and 

 defines the sense in which some of the more common terms are 

 to be employed throughout this series of publications. The 

 text describing the special area surveyed is admirably prepared 

 to set forth in a concise manner the leading features of the 

 geology and of the economic resources. It is prefaced in some 

 cases by a general sketch of the region immediately surrounding 

 the area published, which aids materially the comprehension of 

 the more local geology. In one instance, however, the sketch 

 embraces nearly the whole eastern portion of the United States, 

 which seems unnecessary since, we assume, it is not the intention 

 of the Survey to do away with the publication of its monographs 

 and bulletins, where the full results of the several investigations 

 should appear. Otherwise, the text accompanying the atlas 

 sheets would be insufficient. 



The sheets finished are from widely separated parts of the 

 country : the Hawley sheet in Massachusetts, the geology of 

 which is by Professor B. K. Emerson ; the Kingston sheet in 

 Tennessee, the geology by Mr. C. Willard Hayes, assisted by 



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