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THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



LITERARY NOTICES. 



Report op the Geological Survey op 

 Ohio. Vol. I., Geology and Paleon- 

 tology. Part I., Geology; Part II., 

 Paleontology. Published by author- 

 ity of the Legislature of Ohio. Colum- 

 bus, 1873. 



These two octavo volumes, which to- 

 gether form the first volume of the final re- 

 port on the survey of Ohio, mark an im- 

 portant advance in the scientific knowledge 

 of the character, history, and resources of 

 our country. Since the survey was under- 

 taken in 1869, three preliminary reports 

 have appeared, giving the progress of dis- 

 covery and labor for each year, and con- 

 taining much valuable and interesting in- 

 formation. But here we have the beginning 

 of the end, the first installment of a series 

 which is to comprise some six volumes, and 

 which will be a model in many respects for 

 similar works in years to come. 



As long ago as 1836 an attempt was 

 made to have a geological survey in Ohio, 

 and two annual reports of progress were 

 published under the direction of Prof. W. 

 W, Mather and Dr. S. P. Hildreth, together 

 with several other gentlemen since eminent 

 in geological study. The panic of 1837, 

 however, caused the abandonment of the 

 work by the Legislature, a mistaken econ- 

 omy which much retarded and impaired the 

 development of the resources of the State. 

 It was not until 1869 that the enterprise 

 was resumed, and placed in the hands of 

 the very able corps of gentlemen who have 

 so well performed their work. 



At the head of the survey was placed 

 Dr. John S. Newberry, whose ability has 

 found full scope, and whose reputation has 

 gathered new laurels in this honorable ser- 

 vice to his own State. Associated with 

 him are gentlemen of high standing and 

 capacity, Profs. E. B. Andrews, Edward Or- 

 ton, and J. H. Klippart, as assistant geolo- 

 gists, and Dr. T. G. Wormly as chemist; 

 while the work of paleontology has been 

 divided between Dr. Newberry and Prof. 

 F. B. Meek, so well and widely known in 

 this especial department. 



The second volume, soon to appear, will 

 be composed, like the first, of two separate 

 parts, on geology and paleontology; the 



third volume will treat of the economic ge- 

 ology of Ohio ; and the fourth, of its agri- 

 culture, botany, and zoology. Part I. of 

 the first volume has some of the mechani- 

 cal defects that generally appear in public 

 documents issued by State printers ; but 

 Part II. is a fine specimen of a book. A 

 very large edition was voted by the Legisla- 

 ture, for the purpose of making the work 

 familiar to the people of the State ; and Dr. 

 Newberry has been most successful in his 

 endeavor to render the subjects treated of 

 plain to all intelligent readers, so that these 

 reports may be not only a treasure-house 

 for students of science, but a means of in- 

 formation and instruction for the people at 

 large. 



The first part, on geology simply, forms 

 an octavo of 680 pages. It opens with 

 some general discussions, which properly 

 introduce such a volume, and then passes 

 on to the local details by counties. To any 

 but specialists in geology, the general chap- 

 ters in the First Section will possess the 

 chief amount of interest ; but there are 

 doubtless many professional students of 

 the science who could derive great benefit 

 from these unpretending but masterly pages. 

 After a brief sketch of the history of the 

 survey, Dr. Newberry gives four chapters 

 treating respectively of the physical geog- 

 raphy of Ohio, of its geological relations 

 to the rest of the country, and of its geo- 

 logical structure through the Silurian and 

 Devonian formations. 



Those who are acquainted with Dr. 

 Newberry's cast of mind and method of 

 treatment, will recognize these chapters as 

 eminently characteristic, in the wide range 

 and striking power of their generalizations, 

 and the clearness of statement which per- 

 vades them. The second chapter, on the 

 Physical Geography of Ohio, is in reality a 

 brief but admirable summary of the physi- 

 cal geography of North America. Its dis- 

 cussion of the important question of the 

 relation of forests to rainfall should be 

 read by every intelligent man. With few 

 exceptions, all students of science are 

 agreed as to the destructive effects pro- 

 duced upon climate by the removal of 

 woods from a country. This lesson can- 

 not be too soon or too earnestly pressed 

 upon the attention of our people and our 



