334 ' Scientific Intelligence. 



during 1909 also gathered detailed data in regard to undeveloped 

 water-power sites of the larger streams ; this work has been 

 under the charge of W. M. Tucker. The volume contains, 

 further, a report in regard to the natural gas, by B. A. Kinney, 

 and another by the State Inspector of Mines, J. Epperson. 



2. West Virginia Geological Survey. Volume Five, Forestry 

 and Wood Industries ; by A. B. Brooks. I. C. White, State 

 Geologist. Pp. xiv, 481, with an envelope map of West Virginia 

 and numerous illustrations. Morgantown, 1910. — This fifth vol- 

 ume of the West Virginia Geological Survey, carried on under 

 the guidance of Professor I. C. White, is devoted to a discussion 

 of forestry by A. B. Brooks. This is a subject of vital interest 

 at the present time, and one which fortunately is attracting the 

 attention of those whose political position is such as to enable 

 them to improve the existing situation. In the early days, the 

 State was covered by an almost unbroken forest of more than 

 fifteen and a-half million acres in extent. Now the virgin forest 

 has been reduced to one and a-half million acres. It is estimated 

 that if the large number of saw mills engaged in the State were 

 to continue in active operation as at present, they would cut all 

 the timber in a little over sixteen years. This outlook is suffi- 

 ciently serious ; but it is aggravated by the very large waste that 

 comes in in various ways, particularly through loss by fire. The 

 volume by Mr. Brooks discusses the subject thoroughly from vari- 

 ous standpoints, showing the great importance of the forests in 

 their indirect relations, as well as a source of usable timber. 

 An interesting chapter is devoted to the agents destructive to 

 trees, including a great variety of destructive fungi and insects. 

 A summary is given of the forestry work now being carried for- 

 ward in some twenty States ; an exhaustive list of the native 

 trees is also added. The volume is made attractive by a large 

 number of excellent reproductions of photographs. 



The Survey has also recently issued a map of oil and gas fields, 

 and the structural contour of Wood, Ritchie and Pleasants 

 Counties. 



3. Geological Survey of Tennessee; George H. Ashley, 

 State Geologist. — The State Geological Survey of Tennessee was 

 established in 1909. The special purpose, scope and methods of 

 the work planned are detailed by the State Geologist in a pam- 

 phlet, 1-A, of 33 pages, extracted from Bulletin No. 1, on Geo- 

 logical work in Tennessee. Other pamphlets, recently issued, are 

 2-A, giving an outline introduction to the Mineral Resources of 

 Tennessee, and 3-A, on drainage problems ; these are taken from 

 Bulletins No. 2 and No. 3, respectively. 



4. Atlas Phographique des Formes du Relief Terrestre. — At 

 the ninth Geographical Congress, held in Geneva in 1908, it was 

 voted to adopt the plan proposed by MM. J. Brunhes and E. 

 Chaix for the preparation of a collection of views, showing the 

 different forms of terrestrial relief. A commission of eleven 

 was appointed to report a complete plan for this enterprise at the 



