_*)S Scientific Intelligence. 



theory of oil and gas accumulation. So direct is this evidence 

 that a map has been constructed for the guidance of prospectors. 

 Bulletin No. 199. Geology and Water Resources of the 

 Snake River Plains of Idaho; by I. C. Russell. 185 pp., 25 

 pis., 6 tigs. — Southern Idaho is largely an untrodden field to 

 geologists and Prof. Russell's preliminary report on the region 

 is an important addition to geologic literature. The rocks sur- 

 rounding the Snake River Plains are pre-Tertiary and consist of 

 granite, rhyolite, quartzite and limestone. The Plain itself is 

 made up of Tertiary and recent lacustral formations and lavas. 

 That volcanic activity was contemporaneous with the existence 

 of the lakes is shown by interbedded basalts, clays, sands and 

 ashes. The Snake River lava is younger than the Columbia 

 lava and the latest outpouring "occurred probably within his- 

 torical times and are perhaps not over 100 or 150 years old." 

 The lava came from a great number of inconspicuous craters on 

 the plain and in the adjacent mountains and flowed for great 

 distances. One continuous stream is 50 miles long, 1 to 3 miles 

 wide and about 300 feet deep. In the arid climate of Idaho 

 these recent flows have had little opportunity to weather and the 

 details of crater and cone and stream as well as of the bombs 

 and blistered surfaces are unusually well preserved. The illus- 

 trations and descriptions in the Bulletin make these facts clear. 

 The drainage of this region exhibits some unusual features, per- 

 haps the most remarkable of which is the abundance of large 

 springs which pour out from the northern wall of Snake canyon 

 between Shoshone Falls and Bliss. They flow steadily through- 

 out the year and in August and September equal in volume the 

 water in the river. 



2. Die Alpen in Eiszeitalter ; by Albkecht Penck and 

 Edtjard Bruckneb. Parts 3 and 4, pp. 225-432, with many 

 charts and figures. (Leipzig, Tauchnitz.) — The parts already 

 published of Penck and Bruckner's study of the Alps indicate 

 clearly that the completed work will be full and trustworthy. 

 The field observations are abundant and thoroughly justify the 

 inductions based upon them. Pages 225-396 present a continua- 

 tion of the discussion of the eastern Alpine border (see this Jour- 

 nal xiv, 315), examples of cirques, over deepened valleys, hang- 

 ing valleys, drumlins inside of moraines, etc. are shown to occur 

 in orderly fashion, and abundant proof is presented for strong 

 erosion by the ice mass. The glacial formations of the Rhine 

 Valley are described and mapped (pp. 39G-432). 



3. Lakes of Southeastern Wisconsin ; by N". M. Fenneman. 

 168 pp., 36 pis., 38 figs. Wisconsin Geol. and Nat. Hist. Survey ^ 

 Bull. viii. — The educational work of the Wisconsin survey is 

 worthy of the highest commendation, and the recently published 

 volume on the physical geography of the lakes of the state will 

 be of material aid to teachers and students. The book is well 

 written and well illustrated. A set of hydrographic maps accom- 

 panies the volume. 



