168 



TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



The legislature of the state of Tennessee, with a li- 

 berality and public spirit which does them infinite 

 credit, some time since appointed Dr. G. Troost, a dis- 

 tinguished naturalist, Geologist of the state. At a late 

 session he made a report in part, containing a geological 

 survey of Davidson county, which has been read in the 

 House of Representatives, and which will be published 

 in a suitable form, with engraved maps and illustrations. 

 When the whole work for the state shall have been 

 completed in the same manner, a mass of information, 

 scientific and practical, will be embodied, to which no 

 other state can present a parallel. Dr. Troost proposes, 

 in addition to the geological description of the strata 

 which compose the soil of Tennessee and their organic 

 fossils, to give an accurate mineralogical detail of the 

 same, with an examination of all the u accidental" mi- 

 nerals which may occur. 



The important communications received from Dr. 

 Troost, by the Geological Society of Pennsylvania, 

 some of which are published in the present volume, 

 fully testify to his accuracy and skill in the investiga- 

 tions which now occupy his attention. 



The same author is engaged in publishing a transla- 

 tion of the celebrated work of his friend Goldfuss, "On 



