Sl'GGESTIOXS FOR FIRTIIERING RESEARCH 409 



University of North Dakota, ou the Upper Cretaceous shales of that State 

 may be mentioned. The studies of Prof. J. Claude Jones on the lakes of 

 Nevada constitute an instance of another kind of research, 



I will mention a special research of particular importance now in prog- 

 ress. Prof. Shiro Tashiro, of the University of Cincinnati, is trying to 

 ascertain the physico-chemical factors controlling the formation and de- 

 termining the chemical and mineralogic composition of the skeletons of 

 marine organisms. This is really carrying one step farther the researches 

 of Clarke and Wheeler, of the United States Geological Survey, and al- 

 ready there is promise that we shall soon have a more accurate basis for 

 deducing the physical and chemical conditions under wdiich certain de- 

 posits containing marine organisms were formed. Broadly synthetic 

 work, such as that of Barrell, is of value and more of it is needed. The 

 speakers who will follow me will make other suggestions regarding re- 

 searches in universities. The possibilities are great. May our universi- 

 ties see fit to put a certain amount of their energy into studies of problems 

 of sedimentation. « 



An Institution for the Study of Sedimentation 



I think it will be admitted that all the kinds of researches indicated 

 for the different existing agencies that might be utilized are really needed, 

 and as much as possible should be done to accomplish the desired ends, 

 but I will recall that, under a category described as "complex investiga- 

 tions requiring the cooperative and coordinate researches of physicists, 

 analytical chemists, physical cliemists, and biologists (including bacteri- 

 ologists),'' it was stated that no example of a satisfactory piece of work 

 of this kind could be given. The reason for this is that there has been 

 until now no institution in which a comprehensive, coordinated study of 

 sediments and processes of sedimentation could be made. Valuable, more 

 or less incolierent work, considered fnmi the viewpoint of the interpreta- 

 tion of sediments, lias been done by field geologists, oceanographers, engi- 

 neers, students of soils, analytical chemists, physical chemists, and biol- 

 ogists, but the attempts of investigators to bring to bear on particular 

 problems the results of researches along many lines are few indeed. The 

 reasons of the paucity of such attempts are twofold : The first is that the 

 object of the individual investigator usually has been to solve specific 

 problems and not to consider sediments in a comprehensive way. The 

 second is that there has been no institution or place wherein all the lines 

 of research needed for the solution of problems offered by any sediment 

 could be prosecuted. Without the existence of a definitelv orcranized in- 



