568 Scientific Intelligence. 



4. West Virginia Geological Survey, I. C. White, State 

 Geologist. Preston County, by Ray V. Hennen, and David B. 

 Reger, Assistant Geologists. Part IV, Paleontology, by W. 

 Armstrong Price, Paleontologist. Pp. 566, maps I— III, in sepa- 

 rate case, pis. I-XLIII, figs. 1-10. 1914. — The ambitious scheme 

 of the West Virginia Survey to publish a detailed geologic and 

 soil report for each county in the state is being carried out with 

 unusual speed. Reports covering twenty-eight counties, about 

 half the state, are now either published or in preparation. Work 

 on base maps for the remaining portions of the state are progress- 

 ing satisfactorily. The report on Preston county, accompanied by 

 maps showing topography, general and economic geology, and 

 soil, follows the plan of previous reports and includes chapters on 

 historical and industrial development, structure, stratigraphy, 

 mineral resources, and paleontology. h. e. g. 



5. The Production of Platinum. — The peculiar conditions 

 now existing abroad give special interest to the recent report by 

 David T. Day on the production of platinum and the allied 

 metals in 1913 (Min. Res., IT. S. Geol. Survey). During that 

 year, the supply from the placers of Russia was declining some- 

 what, as it had been previously. The continued high prices, 

 ranging from $43.45 to $45.50 (per troy ounce), had stimulated 

 prospecting in the United States, but without marked increase of 

 production. The total amount obtained from California and 

 Oregon in 1913 was valued at about $18,500, and the writer 

 believes that this could be increased if the demand justified it. 

 He remarks: "The greater part of the California platinum came, 

 as usual, from the large gold-dredging operations in Butte, Yuba, 

 Sacramento, and Calaveras counties. The question of a larger 

 yield of domestic platinum depends principally upon working the 

 Oregon and California beaches, including the old beaches now 

 several miles inland and elevated considerably above sea level." 



A new discovery of platinum in Nevada is noted as follows: 

 " In August, 1914, while this chapter was in-proof, a new discovery 

 of platinum in lode deposits was reported to the United States 

 Geological Survey, and efforts were made by the Survey to obtain 

 some reliable preliminary data for inclusion herewith in view of 

 the threatened shortage of Russian supplies due to the European 

 war. A geologic investigation of the occurrence during the 

 present field season is in prospect by the Survey. The property 

 upon which the discovery was made is located about 10 milts 

 west of Goodsprings, and development work has disclosed a con- 

 siderable body of siliceous ore, carrying copper, gold, silver, and 

 platinum, occurring along a fractured zone in limestone and 

 adjacent to a large intrusion of quartz monzonite porphyry. Some, 

 very rich ore has been reported, and at least 2,000 tons of ore 

 carrying 1 ounce of gold to the ton, with associated silver and 

 platinum, were estimated to be in sight in August. Numerous 

 assays indicated that the high-grade gold ore carried as high as 

 65 ounces and the low-grade about 1 ounce of platinum per ton." 



