Report of the Geological Survey. 521 



SUMMARY REPORT OF THE GEOLOGICAL 



SURVEY. 



Department of Mines for the year 1915. 



This volume contains brief reports on the work of all 

 the divisions of the Geological Survey. The economic 

 side is, of course, given prominence, that is. the Geologi- 

 cal and Mineralogical Department, as it is in these the 

 people are chiefly interested. Fuller reports are to 

 follow. Although geological investigations and topo- 

 graphical mapping naturally occupied the first place in 

 the work of the survey, attention was also given to other 

 branches of science — Botany, Zoology, Anthropology, 

 Archaeology, and their various subdivisions. The rela- 

 tive importance attached to the different sections of 

 natural science may be gathered from the fact that the 

 Geographical Staff includes 33 members, besides 3 pale- 

 ontologists, while only 3 botanists and 1 ornithologist 

 were employed. 



Of course, the newer western provinces receive most 

 attention, notably Alberta and British Columbia and 

 the Yukon Territory, because of the immense rock 

 formations to be found in the vast mountain ranges of 

 those provinces. But some work was done in all the 

 provinces, our friend, Mr. J. A. Dresser, devoting his 

 attention and time to the Lake St. John Basin, in the 

 Province of Quebec. 



Our octogenarian naturalist, Professor John Macoun, 

 now permanently residing on Vancouver Island, where, 

 owing to the mildness of the climate, he is able to prose- 

 cute field work throughout the year, reports 826 species 

 of flowering plants from the island, and more than a 

 thousand species of mosses, seaweeds and fungi. Mr. 

 Harold St. John, temporary botanist, spent the season 

 collecting in the County of Saguenay, and reports find- 

 ing 50 species, which he is studying under the direction 

 of Prof. M. L. Fernald, of Harvard University. The 

 result of the naming and describing of this collection 

 will be looked forward to with interest by botanists. 



