Notices respecting JSew Books. 307 



skill ; he has resisted the temptation to render a too literal trans- 

 lation, without committing the more serious error of obscuring the 

 author's meaning. — J. L. H. 



Iowa Geological Survey. Vol. V. Annual Report, 1895. with 



Accompanying Papers. 8vo. 452 pages, with 7 maps, 14 plates, 



aud 72 figures in the text. Des Moines, 1896. 

 This volume contains reports on six Counties, drawn up on a 

 uniform plan. They treat of the situation and area ; previous geo- 

 logical work in the district ; the physiography, namely topography 

 and drainage ; stratigraphy, namely general relations of the strata, 

 and the geological formations locally represented; typical expo- 

 sures, including unconformities and deformations ; economic pro- 

 ducts and water-supply. The Geology of Jones County is reported 

 on by Dr Samuel Calvin, the State Geologist. Earlier observations 

 on the district by D. D. Owen, J. Hall, J. D. Whitney, C. A. White, 

 and W. J. McGee are duly noted. The topography is described 

 as dependent chiefly on the superficial deposits, modified by the 

 drainage-courses. Of the solid or indurated strata, there are some 

 fragmentary relics of Carboniferous beds, and large areas of Pleis- 

 tocene and Silurian (Niagara limestones). The last at some places 

 have enormous Corals, exposed by weathering into monumental 

 masses. The soils, including Geest, a " product of secular rock 

 decay;" building-stone, extensively quarried; lime; clays; and 

 other products, as well as water-supply, are carefully dealt with. 

 In Washington County, by Mr. H. E. Bain, Assistant State Geo- 

 logist, the rock-masses are of Carboniferous (Mississippian) age. 

 In Boone County (by Dr. S. W. Beyer) the Upper (Des Moines) 

 Carboniferous series has useful coal-seams at some places. In 

 Woodbury County (Mr. H. E. Bain) the Cretaceous system sup- 

 plies the hard rocks ; and these have always been of much interest 

 to Geologists in the State ; especially the upper series, namely the 

 Colorado stage (consisting of the Niobrara Chalk and Benton Shale), 

 and the Dakota stage with its interesting fossil flora. The Pleistocene 

 deposits (" preglacial, glacial, and post-glacial") are here, as else- 

 where throughout these Reports, carer'ully denned and illustrated 

 with a map, views, and sections. In Warren County (Professor 

 J. L. Tilton), besides the Pleistocene deposits, there are Carboni- 

 ferous (Pennsylvanian and Mississippian series) strata yielding some 

 coal. Appanoose County (Mr. H. E. Bain) has many coal-mines 

 in active work. 



These Reports are full of well-described facts and careful con- 

 siderations, useful to both student and teacher in geology, and, of 

 course, highly valuable to the people of Iowa State. 



Most of the plates aud many of the figures, giving views of 

 exposures and of various parts of the country, have been reproduced 

 from satisfactory photographs. The geological sections are some- 

 what diagrammatic but useful. The maps are doubtlessly exact. 

 The several tables of contents and the general index are very good 

 and of great service to those consulting the work. 



