434 Scientific Intelligence. 



Geological Survey. The new work of establishment of perma- 

 nent monuments resulted in running 10,840 miles of levels and 

 establishing 1820 bench marks. Provision was made, by the 

 sundry civil bill approved June 4, 1897, for the survey of the 

 northern portion of the boundary line between Idaho and Mon- 

 tana, the first work of the kind assigned to the Geological Survey. 

 Provision was also made, with an appropriation of $150,000, for 

 the survey of the forest reserves. Progress was made in this 

 direction, specially in South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana and 

 Washington. 



The preparation of educational series of rocks was completed 

 and their distribution to educational institutions begun. For the 

 purpose of assisting the director in the internal work of the Sur- 

 vey, advisory committees were established in petrography and 

 chemistry, and Mr. Bailey Willis was appointed assistant to the 

 Director in geology. The main branches of work of the Survey 

 were continued along the lines of previous years with the accus- 

 tomed energy and abundant results, a summary of which is given 

 in the report. h. s. w. 



2. Summary Report of the Geological Department of Canada 

 for the year 1897, G. M. Dawson, Deputy Head and Director ; 

 pp. 1-156. Ottawa, 1898. — Among the numerous items of interest 

 of which a general summary is given here, attention may be 

 called to the following : The experimental borings in Northern 

 Alberta, at the mouth of the Pelican River and at Victoria on 

 the Saskatchewan, have resulted in the discovery of the " tar 

 sands " in the Pelican River boring, at the depth of 750 feet. 

 Here maltha, or heavy, tarry petroleum was met with, and at 820 

 feet an exceedingly heavy flow of natural gas under high pres- 

 sure was struck. These rocks, it will be remembered are of Cre- 

 taceous age. In the Victoria well only the dark overlying shales 

 have yet been penetrated, to a total depth of 705 feet. 



The investigation of Dr. Adams and Mr. Barlow in the Halibur- 

 ton region bear out the conclusions of former work in showing that 

 the Fundamental gneiss consists of granitoid-gneissic rocks in the 

 form of great batholitic masses, the limestones, etc., of the Gren- 

 ville series sagging down between and wrapping around the 

 batholites as great mantles. These gneissic rocks, in parts of the 

 area, have become more completely molten and have developed 

 into truly intrusive granites which no longer merely arch up the 

 overlying strata but break through and cut across them. 



Interesting results were obtained by Mr. Chalmers in tracing 

 the Pleistocene shore lines of the St. Lawrence Valley. The 

 traverse extended from Orleans Island westward to Lake Ontario 

 and to Lake Nipissing. From his observations Mr. Chalmers 

 concludes that the general upheaval of the St. Lawrence basin in 

 the Pleistocene period was differential throughout, increasing to 

 the westward. The greatest upheaval seems to have been immedi- 

 ately to the northeast and north of the Great Lakes, and the 

 maximum heights there will probably be found to be represented 



