292 Scientific Intelligence. 



the auriferous pyrite. It is believed that the two series of veins 

 represent two distinct periods of mineralization or possibly two 

 sources for the ore-bearing solutions. w. K. f. 



5. University of Illinois Bulletin. Vol. 7, No. 2. Septem- 

 ber 13, 1909. Chemical and Biological Survey of the Waters of 

 Illinois: Report for year ending December 31, 1908. Edward 

 Bartoav, Director. Pp. 204. Water Survey Series, No. 1. 

 Urbana, Illinois. — This bulletin is of much local importance, 

 containing as it does an examination of many thousand samples 

 of water from different sources. It is noted that up to the close 

 of 1908 the State Water Survey received 18,700 samples of 

 water for examination. Not only the results of analyses them- 

 selves are given, but also several chapters dealing with general 

 topics, as the determination of nitrates in drinking water, the 

 methods of water analysis, etc. ' 



6. The New Bureau of Mines of the United States Geological 

 Survey. — Tiie Bureau of Mines, recently established as a part of 

 the U. S. Geological Survey, began its work with the first of 

 July. This Bureau will have charge of the investigation of mine 

 accidents and fuels, together with the personnel and equipment 

 of these investigations; it also embraces the fully-equipped test- 

 ing station at Pittsburg. The related investigations of the struc- 

 tural materials will be carried on by the Bureau of Standards. 

 An appropriation of |;UO,000 has been made by Congress for the 

 investigations of mine accidents, and $100,000 for the analysis and 

 testing of the various fuels ; the total appropriations for the 

 Bureau of Mines, including salaries, rent, etc., amount to $502,200. 



It is stated that " the work of the Bureau of Mines for the first 

 year will be a continuation and expansion of the work carried on 

 by the Technologic Branch of the Geological Survey. The law 

 in itself provides for a variety of other problems that properly 

 belong to the Bureau of Mines and which should eventually be 

 undertaken, such as methods of mining and metallurgical pro- 

 cesses, but these activities will be deferred for the most part until 

 Congress gives additional authorization in the shape of adequate 

 appropriations. The spirit of the debates in Congress, both on 

 the Bureau of Mines legislation and on the appropriation items, 

 emphasized the desire to regard the mine accidents investigations 

 as urgent, and this will be the feature of the work." 



The mine accidents investigations, besrun bv the Geological 

 Survey in 1908, have already accomplished important results. 

 Since 1908 "investigations of explosives, coal, gas, dust, elec- 

 tricity, and other possible causes of mine explosions have been con- 

 tinually under way. The mining engineering field force of the 

 Geological Survey has already made decided progress in the study 

 of underground mining conditions and methods. Practically all of 

 the coal mines in which mine explosions have occurred during 

 the last tvvo years have been carefully examined, the gases, coke 

 and dust have been analyzed at the laboratory at Pittsburg and 

 every effort has been made to determine the explosibility of vari- 



