Report of the State Geologist. 173 



not critically examined. Moreover, since with ordinary means 

 no one can be absolutely sure of every mile of area, it is far 

 preferable to leave uncolored such portions of the map as are not 

 accurately known. If this could be once generally understood 

 these uncolored' portions would represent to the student, areas of 

 country which have not been sufficiently examined to be repre- 

 sented on the map, and that these areas offer opportunities for 

 study and the chances of discovery of new facts. If the commu- 

 nity would accept this view of the subject the best geographical 

 map might be colored to indicate the limits of formations as far 

 as accurately known, the other parts being left for investigation, 

 and the results of such investigation published each year, and 

 added to our stock of accurate knowledge by coloring some 

 additional portion of the map. For while it may be said that 

 leaving uncolored some parts of a map is a confession of our ignor- 

 ance, we may respond that to color every portion of a map is 

 only an attempt to hide our ignorance and a practical deception 

 upon the community. 



* -X- 7f -X- * * * 



The first geological map of the State of ]^ew York ever seen 

 by the writer was one accompanying the geological textbook 

 pablished by Amos Eaton in 1830. It is needless to say that 

 this was a crude attempt to recognize in the geological forma- 

 tions over the greater jjart of the State of New York, an identity 

 with the secondary formations of Great Britain and Europe. It 

 is scarcely necessary to say that such a map could be not only of 

 no value to the student on geology but a constant source of 

 misleading. 



Upon the organization of the Geological Survey of the State 

 of Xew York, one of the first objects sought was maps for 

 laying down the limits of the geological formations. At that 

 time there were no accurate maps except of small parts of coun- 

 try, and the best resource was found in Burr's atlas of the state 

 and county maps of the State of JS'ew York. There seems to 

 have been no approximately correct geographical map of the 

 state available for the use of the geologists for recording their 

 observations. At the close of the survey a small map was 

 engraved expressly for the use of the geologists in laying down 

 the limits of the geological formations. This map from the 



