234 



SCIENCE 



[Vol. LVI, JSTo. 1444 



ore deposits, whicli will soon be described in a 

 monographic report, and the examination of 

 numerous coal-fields, as well as metalliferous 

 deposits. Among the latter are the antimony 

 and mercury deposits, which have already been 

 described in the bulletins issued by the sur- 

 vey. 



The general geological survey of the country 

 has so far been restricted to the province of 

 Chihli, Shantung, Shansi, Bonan, and Kiangsu, 

 the larger part of those provinces being al- 

 ready mapped. It is the intention of the sur- 

 vey to publish sheet maps of the whole of 

 China upon the scale of one to one million, and 

 four such sheets are now in preparation. 



The scientific work of the survey has been 

 confined principally to the study and descrip- 

 tion of the fossil remains occurring in the 

 various geological systems, and to the deter- 

 mination of stratigraphic horizons. The sur- 

 vey has had the advantage of the cooperation 

 of a famous paleontologist. Dr. A. W. Grabau, 

 formerly professor of paleontology at Colum- 

 bia University, who has made great progi-ess 

 in describing the invertebrate fossils. 



A number of Swedish scientists, acting as 

 associate paleontologists to the survey, have, 

 with the Swedish fund, made extensive collec- 

 tions of fossil plants, fossil mammals and the 

 remains of prehistoric man, and these are now 

 being studied by them. The results of these 

 studies, together with Dr. Grabau's investiga- 

 tions on the invertebrate fossils, will be pub- 

 lished in "the Paleontologic Siniea," a series 

 of monographs, which is intended to com- 

 prise, as far as possible, descriptions and il- 

 lustrations of all the fossils of China. 



Early in the history of the survey, the col- 

 lections brought together by the field geolo- 

 gists, were arranged to form a small museum. 

 This has grown constantly, until now it com- 

 prises 3,250 specimens of ores, minerals, rocks 

 and fossils, properly labeled and exhibited 

 under glass, in the compound of the Survey 

 west city, Fong Shong Hutung, No. 3. 



In order to bring together an up-to-date 

 geological library, the director of the survey, 

 Dr. V. K. Ting, approached private individuals 

 as well as mining companies, requesting them 

 to contribute to a library fund. Through their 

 generous response, forty thousand dollars were 



collected, and with this, fund Dr. Ting has 

 been able to erect a modern library building 

 and bring together a collection of geological 

 literature comprising at present 8,873 volumes. 

 President Li Yuan Hung has taken a leading 

 role among the individual donators, while 

 among the mining companies the Kailan Min- 

 ing Administration stands foremost through 

 the generosity of its donation. 



It has been considered by the minister of 

 agriculture and commerce, and by the director 

 of the Geological Survey, that this institution 

 has now reached such a stage of development 

 that it is appropriate to throw the museum 

 and the library open to the public. The open- 

 ing ceremony took place on the seventeenth 

 instant at four o'clock in the afternoon, in the 

 lecture hall of the survey, and in the presence 

 of a distinguished gathering of Chinese of- 

 ficials, headed by President Li Yuan Hung, 

 who, himself a leading donor to the library 

 fund, gave, by his presence, renewed evidence 

 of his scientific interest and democratic spirit. 

 Among other notable guests, we may specially 

 mention the minister and vice-minister of agri- 

 culture and commerce, Their Excellencies 

 Chang Kuo Kan and Chiang Tion To; the 

 chiefs of the different departments of the mini- 

 stry of agriculture and commerce; and dele- 

 gates from other government museums in Pe- 

 king, as well as many of the donators and 

 other representatives of the mining industry. 



The guests were welcomed by the director 

 of the survey. Dr. Ting, in the following words : 



"H. E. the President, Their Exeelleileies, the 

 Minister and the Vice-Minister, our honored 

 guests and my colleagues: It is my great privi- 

 lege and pleasure to welcome you most heartily 

 on behalf of the Geological Survey. First of all, 

 I must thank the president, not only because he 

 condescends to come to this ceremony, but also 

 because he is one of the contributors to our build- 

 ing fund. In foreign countries it is not uncom- 

 mon for the of&eiat head of the state to be present 

 at the opening of a similar scientific institution, 

 but, as far as I know, this is the first time in 

 China that the President of the Eepublie honors 

 such an oeeasion by his presence. This indicates 

 the scientific interest as well as the democratic 

 spirit of our president, for which we are sincere- 

 ly grateful. 



' ' Secondly, I must thank the donors to our 



