July 12, 1907] 



SCIENCE 



57 



preparations occasionally contained as mucli 

 as 40-50 per cent, of the acid, the remainder 

 consisted of liquefied hydrogen sulphide, sul- 

 phur dioxide, carbon disulphide and hydrogen 

 cyanide. The two chemists mentioned give 

 the following description of the preparation 

 of the chemically pure acid: Powdered potas- 

 sium sulphocyanate, which has been fused 

 until free from water, is mixed with an equal 

 weight of phosphorus pentoside in a distilla- 

 tion flask, connected with a receiver which is 

 cooled in a mixture of ice and salt. The air 

 in the flask is displaced by purified hydrogen 

 under 40-60 mm. pressure. Concentrated 

 sulphuric acid is now added gradually to the 

 mixture in the flask, which is immersed in 

 ice-water. The pure sulphocyanic acid col- 

 lects in the receiver as a mass of white, dry 

 crystals. At 0° it may be retained several 

 hours in a closed vessel. It melts about 5°, 

 and the liquid, in a few minutes, becomes deep 

 red and then quickly solidifies, forming 

 slender yellow needles; heat is evolved simul- 

 taneously. At 0° the acid dissolves in water 

 almost without decomposition, but at the ordi- 

 nary temperature polymerization products are 

 formed. The acid has a sharp caustic odor 

 and it rapidly attacks the skin. 



J. Bishop Tingle 



MclVLiSTER UNn-EKSITY, 



Toronto, Canada 



GEOLOGIC WORK ON TEE COASTAL PLAIN 



The active cooperation of the States of the 

 Atlantic and Gulf coasts, from the mouth of 

 the Potomac to the Mississippi is enlisted in 

 an investigation for which preparations are 

 under way at the United States Geological 

 Survey. 



A systematic study is to be made of the 

 age, character, and general relations of the 

 rocks of the Coastal Plain, special eilort being 

 made to determine the position and extent of 

 beds of economic interest, including water- 

 bearing beds, phosphate deposits, fuller's 

 earth, and other materials. 



The general plan of the investigation was 

 formulated at Washington on the first of 

 January, 1907, at a conference invited by the 



Director of the National Survey and partici- 

 pated in by sta.te geologists Kummel of New 

 Jersey, Clark of Maryland, Watson of Vir- 

 ginia, Pratt of North Carolina, Teates of 

 Georgia, Smith of Alabama, and Crider of 

 Mississippi, the heads of the survey's geologic 

 and water resources branches, and M. L. Ful- 

 ler and T. W. Stanton, also of the National 

 organization. 



At this conference the work that had 

 already been done was discussed and arrange- 

 ments were made for one of the most exten- 

 sive cooperative investigations ever under- 

 taken by the Geological Survey. The dis- 

 cussion brought out the fact that the work 

 in New Jersey and Maryland had been com- 

 pleted under the auspices of the states, while 

 that in Alabama is far advanced. The Geo- 

 logical Surveys of North Carolina, Georgia, 

 Alabama and Mississippi have also done con- 

 siderable work in the Coastal Plain region, 

 and reports on the water resources of Georgia 

 and Alabama have been published by the state 

 bureaus. The work of the National Survey 

 in this area has been confined to investiga- 

 tions of underground water problems in Vir- 

 ginia and North Carolina and to studies of 

 the phosphate deposits of Florida. 



If present plans are carried out field work 

 in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, 

 and Florida will be completed during 1907, 

 and that in Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi 

 will be reserved for 1908. It is expected that 

 the entire investigation will be completed and 

 a final report submitted for publication in 

 1909. 



General supervision of the work rests with 

 a board of which W. B. Clark, of the Maryland 

 Survey, is chairman and which includes the 

 chiefs of the geologic and water resources 

 branches of the National Survey and the 

 state geologists of the interested states. The 

 field work, which will be directed by M. L. 

 Fuller, will be done chiefiy by members of 

 the United States Geological Survey, but 

 state representatives will also be employed in 

 North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama and Mis- 

 sissippi. The necessary paleontologic work 

 will be directed by T. W. Stanton. 



