532 SCIENCE. 
The Douglas begins with the Lawrence shales, 
varying from 300 to 800 feet, the greater thick- 
ness being at the south. In this direction it 
becomes largely sandstone, for a well south 
from the Neosho river showed 670 feet of sand- 
stone in a total thickness of about 800 feet. 
Some useful coal beds are in these shales but 
they exhibit great variations. The Oread lime- 
stones in two beds, each 8 to 20 feet thick, are 
the upper member of the Douglas formation. 
The higher formations, Shawnee, Wabaunsee 
and Cottonwood, consist of sandstones, shales 
and limestones, to many of which specific 
designations have been assigned, but all alike 
appear to be irregular in thickness and dis- 
tribution. Generally speaking, the shales are 
thin in the southern portion of the State and 
there the limestones have not been followed out 
satisfactorily; but, northward, the shales are 
thicker and the relations of the limestones are 
clearer. Fossils are abundant in the limestones 
to the top of the Shawnee. The Osage shales 
at the top of the Shawnee contain the im- 
portant coal beds mined at Osage City, Peter- 
ton, Scranton and Carbon ; but coal appears to 
be absent from the Wabaunsee and Cottonwood. 
This part of the volume ends with a chapter 
explaining the nomenclature employed, and 
showing, as far as possible, the relations of the 
Kansas formations to those in adjacent states. 
One is tempted here to discuss the general sub- 
ject of nomenclature with especial reference to 
the present craze for manufacture of new terms, 
but the temptation must be resisted, for the 
topic is too important and too attractive to be 
treated incidentally within the limits of a book 
notice. One may say, however, that unless 
some check is placed upon indulgence in this 
practice, a volume half as large as an unabridged 
dictionary will hardly suffice for definition of 
synonyms half a century hence. If geologists 
in charge of extensive areas would make a gen- 
eral reconnaissance before beginning detailed 
work, andif the geologists of adjoining states 
would work up in company the areas along 
boundary lines, someagreement might bereached 
respecting names. Certainly something ought 
to be done to stop the process of making inde- 
pendent classifications for petty areas and the 
application of different names to a single bed of 
[N. S. Von. X. No. 250. 
coal, limestone or sandstone. This, of course, 
would lessen the amount of apparently original 
matter in new reports, but it would lessen to a 
wonderful degree the labor of those who have 
to use reports of several states or areas during 
studies in comparative geology. Professor Ha- 
worth’s chapter, which is responsible for this di- 
gression, is useful, as it gives some understand- 
ing of the already annoying synonymy in some of 
the western states. Respecting some essential 
points in this chapter, relating to differences 
between his grouping and that of other investi- 
gators, the writer can have no opinion at pres- 
ent; he is too far away from the scene of strife. 
The second part of the volume, by Mr. W. 
R. Crane deals with the economic side of the 
Coal Measures. It gives a detailed description 
of the beds now mined, belonging to the Chero- 
kee and Osage shales. Little work has been 
done on beds in the intervening formations, but 
Mr. Crane evidently believes that some of those 
will be utilized. He gives a careful review of 
the chemical and physical properties of the 
Kansas coals, based on analyses and prolonged 
experiment. The coals show a decrease in 
fixed carbon in passing from south to north, as 
well as from east to west, with a decrease in 
calorific power. Mr. Crane suggests that this 
change is due to the facts that the beds at the 
south and east are older than the others, and 
that they have been subjected to orographic 
action while the others have not. A chapter 
is given upon clay veins, which are thought to 
be due to earth tremors, by which the coal was 
fractured and the clay pressed into the cavity. 
The irregular sub-conical or bell-shaped protru- 
sions from the roof are explained as filled de- 
pressions. Some of these are interesting as 
they have a thin casing of anthracite coal. The 
coal output of the state has grown from 1,211,- 
057 tons in 1885, to 3,291,806 tons in 1897. 
Mr. Crane gives descriptions of methods of 
mining and drainage, as well as of machinery ; 
a directory of the mines in the state; and 
concludes his work with a summary of the 
mining laws of the state. 
The volume is illustrated elaborately and has 
an index of 11 pages, with double columns. 
It is a useful contribution to the advancement 
of the economic interests of Kansas, and is of a 
et 
