STATE GEOLOGIST 23 



who had been designated to take special charge of the depart- 

 ment of Zoology, descended the Saginaw river to its mouth, in 

 company with a young man who was subsequently employed 

 during the season as taxidermist and general assistant. About 

 the middle of May, the necessary preparations having been 

 completed, I entered upon the field work of the season, by com- 

 mencing a geological survey of the county of Monroe. In this 

 part of the work I was accompanied by Messrs. A. D. White 

 and Lewis Spalding, two students of the University, who volun- 

 teered their assistance for the mere payment of their traveling 

 expenses. Mr. White continued in the service of the survey 

 during the season, and was again employed the present season. 

 I am happy here to testify to the faithful, able and obliging 

 manner in which he has co-operated in the execution of all my 

 plans. 



After the completion of our observations in Monroe county, 

 our reconnoissance was extended through Jackson, Hillsdale, 

 Lenawee, Branch and Calhoun counties. Having familiarized 

 myself with the character of the Coal Formation in the vicinity 

 of Jackson, and traced its limits to the east and west of the 

 city, I had no hesitation in pronouncing upon the non-existance 

 of coal at Jonesville, or in Hillsdale county. I subsequently 

 had the opportunity to discourage the explorations for coal in 

 the vicinity of Albion, misguided to the same extent as those of 

 Hillsdale county. Similar duties, always unpleasant, and often 

 met by ingratitude and incredulity, have had to be performed in 

 scores of other places. The observations made at Jackson, 

 Woodville, Barry, Albion, Marshall, Battle Creek, Union City, 

 Jonesville and Hillsdale, have proved exceedingly instructive, 

 as will be shown in the ultimate publication of the details 'of 

 the survey. 



The south-western part of the State promising to be less pro- 

 ductive of useful observations, Mr. White was instructed to 

 traverse the counties of St. Joseph, Cass, Berrien, Van Buren 

 and Kalamazoo, along designated lines, while I entered upon 

 i .the examination of the regions bordering upon the lines of 



