Clarence King — Geologist 



In 1874, he sent one member of his 

 corps to Europe to study the methods 

 of European geological surveys and 

 to obtain the best and latest geological 

 literature, with which at that time 

 American libraries were but scantily 

 provided. He, also, instructed him 

 to confer with Prof. Zirkel, then the 

 greatest microscopical petrographer 

 of the day, and to induce him, if pos- 

 sible, to visit America and study in 

 the presence of the collectors their 

 collection of rock specimens, for at 

 that time no American geologist had 

 any practical knowledge of this new 

 branch of geology. From this visit 

 resulted Zirkel's volume on micro- 

 scopical petrography, which marked 

 the opening of a new era in geolog- 

 ical study in the United States. 



King- reserved for himself the final 

 summarizing: of the work of his assist- 

 ants and the drawing of general con- 

 clusions and theoretical deductions 

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