Revieivs — Geological Survey of Canada. 567 



consisting of the preparation of the numerous publications issued 

 by the department, the making of the maps, matters relating to 

 economic geology, the care of the collections, etc. The field-work 

 ("officers' reports") fills up the rest of the volume. 



Mr. R. G. McConnell describes his exploration of the newgoldfield 

 of the Kluane district, Yukon. This embraces Alsek Eiver, Kluane 

 Lake, and the north-eastern slope of the St. Elias range. The last 

 has become familiar to geographers through the Italian expedition 

 of 1897 under the Duke of the Abruzzi, when an ascent of Mount 

 St. Elias (the highest point in Alaska) was made. A great variety 

 of massive igneous rocks occur in this range. Unlike the Rocky 

 Mountain range, there is no evidence of overthrust faulting, 

 reversing the normal sequence of the beds, though they are highly 

 tilted. The gold is of local origin, and is derived from the quartz 

 veins cutting the Kluane schists. The production is at present 

 small, but worked by more economical methods there seems promise 

 of future success. 



Mr. Joseph Keele examined the Duncan Creek mining district, 

 Stewart River, Yukon territory, where also ' coarse ' gold, derived 

 chiefly from the bed-rock (quartz and mica -schist), is widely 

 distributed. Maps accompany both these reports. 



Df. E. W. Ells and Mr. R. A. A. Johnston were occupied in 

 working out the geological structure of the Nicola Coal -basin, 

 British Columbia, with special reference to the occurrences of coal 

 and the ores of iron and copper. The rocks of this area were 

 described in 1877-8 and in 1894 by Dr. G. M. Dawson, who 

 gave the name " Nicola Series " to the volcanic rocks (Triassie) 

 and " Coldwater Group " to the sedimentary (Tertiary) rocks. The 

 former consist of diabase, porphyrite, rhyolite, andesite, felsite, and 

 agglomerate, with which, locally, large masses of granite of later 

 date are associated. The sedimentary rocks comprise conglomerate, 

 sandstone, and grit, shale and beds of coal, which are in some 

 places lignite of fair quality, as at Similkameen, but in other 

 places they pass into bituminous coal, as in the Nicola Valley, 

 where they form deposits of great value. A map, coloured 

 geologically and on a scale of one inch to one mile, is appended 

 to this report. 



Professor R. W. Brock continued his work in the Lardeau 

 mining district, British Columbia, begun in the previous season 

 (1903). He describes the physical geography, glacial geology, 

 solid rocks, and mining geology of the district. The value of the 

 mining seems to be rather prospective than present. The ores 

 found are gold, silver, and lead. 



Dr. R. A. Daly contributes a report on the geology of the 

 western Cordillera, along the line of the international boundary 

 (4:9th parallel). 



A few pages are occupied by Professor John Macoun, the well- 

 known botanist to the Survey, in a report upon the natural history 

 of the " National Park" (Rocky Mountain Park), including also its 

 botany. 



