Record of Geology of Texas, 1887 - 1896 . 
165 
Hill^ Robert T. 
ritory (including Oklahoma), Texas, and New Mexico west of the ninety- 
seventh meridian and east of the 'Rocky Mountains, including over 300,000 
square miles. This area is such a vast extent that it was impossible to 
traverse it thoroughly, even in a rapid manner, in the time allotted to the 
'Work. The writer, however, has fortunately spent many years in its pre- 
vious study, but still feels that this report can only be considered, with 
the exception of the Grand iPrairie region, as a preliminary outline of the 
water conditions. — 
“The area has been so little studied by geographers and geologists that 
much time had to be devoted to tiaxoing out and classifying its elementary 
geographic features as a fundamental step to the geological and economic 
studies dependent thereon. Even the western limit of the investigation, 
as defined in the organization of the wiork, is still problematical, for the 
Rocky Mountains proper cease to be a clearly defined feature south of the 
thirty-third degree of latitude, and are succeeded by an undefined system of 
uneonneeted mountain blocks and plains which have not yet been satis- 
factorily classified. 
“The reader of these pages should remember that the regions discussed 
are radically different in most natural aspects from the older inhabited por- 
tion of the United jStates. It is far more different from New England than 
is Japan, dt has more points in common with Europe than with the great 
Mississippi Valley. The chalk lands and downs of Texas are more related 
to France than to the rocks of the adjiacent Arkansas and Missouri States. 
This region of Texas, embracing nearly a third of the whole area of the 
artesian investigation, has more diverse geologie features than most of the 
remainder, which necessitates a disproportionate amount of consideration. 
“The writer has endeavored to give only the laws of the occurrence and 
distribution of water, leaving to the engineers the discuss ion of its utiliza- 
tion. Neither is it within the province of this investigation to enter into 
an elaborate discussion of the minute geologic structure of this immense 
area, bnt in order to comprehend its witter conditions it is necessary that 
such features be briefly described.” Introduction, p. 47. 
Noticed in the Amer. Jour, of Science, III, Vol. XLIV, p. 333, Oct., 1892. 
236. 
'The Geologie Evolution of the Kon-Mountainous Topography of 
the Texas Region. iAn Introduction to the Study of the Great 
Plains. 
Amer. Geologist, Yol. X, pp. 105-115. /Minneapolis, Aug., 
1892. 
Synopsis: Texas, east of the Pecos, is a, vast series of plains, eharac- 
terized by sub-horizontal structure, the most extensive terranes of which 
are Neozoic. The “Staked Plains” may be viewed as a continuation of the 
Great Plains, and are compoised of Mesozoic strata. The plains of the easit- 
ern border of the State are a continuation of the Atlantic coastal plain. 
Each is characterized by its o;wn fauna, flora, etc. A section from Las 
Vegas, N. M., to Galveston will give the details of deposition and degreda- 
tion of the region. The only fonuations immediately bearing upon the 
