15 



our own capitalists, but those of other countries, should have opened 

 to them a field for investment, in regard to which . they may under 

 stand that they have some substantial basis of facts and reliable 

 data for generalization, and not feel that they are entering blindfolded 

 into a hap-hazard game of speculation, as is too often the case when 

 putting their money into mines in regions known only from the de 

 scriptions of those personally and pecuniarily interested. 



In the geological department proper of the survey, one volume 

 has already been published, which, under the title of " A Report of 

 Progress and Synopsis of the Field-work from 1861 to 1864, inclu 

 sive," gives the results of a general reconnaissance of the State, both 

 geological and geographical. In this volume the main features of 

 our physical geography and geology will be found delineated, exclu 

 sively from the results of our own observations, and with them is 

 incorporated a considerable amount of general information with 

 regard to our mineral resources, incidentally brought in, as also 

 notices of our natural scenery, botany, distribution of forests, etc., 

 all of which subjects will eventually be more elaborately treated in 

 special volumes ; so that this might be considered rather in the light 

 of a temporary report than as a part of a final series. To close the 

 general geology another volume will be required, and is in process 

 of preparation. This will give a systematic and thorough review of 

 the geological structure of the State, and will be fully illustrated by 

 geological maps and sections, which were necessarily wanting in the 

 first volume, and which will be a text-book for the student in this 

 department, and a reliable guide to those who, from whatever motive, 

 shall desire to make themselves acquainted with the course of events 

 which has given its present configuration and internal structure to 

 that part of the continent which we inhabit. 



In Palaeontology, we have published one volume, and another is 

 well on the way, a considerable part of the plates being already 

 engraved and the 'text stereotyped. A third volume will be neces 

 sary to enable us to describe the remarkable animals which lived on 

 this coast just before the present epoch, including the elephant, mas 

 todon, camel, tapir, horse (of several species now extinct), buffalo, 

 rhinoceros, hippopotamus, and others of remarkable and little-known 

 genera ; also, the forest vegetation of that epoch, of which the 

 remains now lie buried in our deep gravel deposits, and which dif 

 fered entirely from that which we now see occupying the flanks of 

 the Sierra ; also, the microscopic organisms of which a large portion 

 of our rocks are almost entirely made up, and which can be shown 



