Personal and Scientific xiews. 283 
Interglacial Peat in Wisconsin. According to Mr. B.W. 
Thomas, of Chicago, there is a bed of iiiterglacial peat in tiiel)lnfts 
of Fox river, aijoiit one-half mile from the water and forty feet 
above it, which, on examination, is found to contain fresh water 
and some marine diatoms. Tlie bedJs about four feet thick, 
with an area of at least four acres Tt rests on boukler clay which 
lieson theSt. Peter sandstone, and isoverlain by fifteen or twenty feet 
of the same material, the latter carrying numerous large boulders, 
some of which are said to show glacial markings. jMr. Thomas 
sa3's this peat contains several species not found in that recently 
examined from Minnesota [see 20th Minnesota report], and also 
lacks some found in Minnesota peat. 
The Illinois Wbslevan University, at Bloomington, Illinois, 
has lately received by bequest from the late Preorge W. Lichten- 
thaler, a veiy large conchological collection. It includes also 
many fossils and minerals, as well as living species of corals, star- 
fishes and other marine species. It was gathered during twenty 
years, and nearly all parts of the world are represented. It will 
certainly constitute an attraction for scientists w^o wish to study 
any of these forms. It has from twent^'-five to fifty thousand 
specimens, largely named by the best authorities. 
The first officers of the new GtEOLOokal Society of 
Washington were elected Feb. 25, as follows: President, C. D. 
Wolcott; Vice Presidents, S. F. Emmons and W. H.Holmes: 
Treasurer, Arnold Hague : /Secretaries, Whitman Cross and J. S. 
Diller: Council, G. F. Becker, T. M. Chatard. G. H. Fldridge, (>. 
K. Gilbert and G. P. Merrill. In the list of the names of the 
•'founders" the following are resident outside the District of Co- 
lumbia: T. C. Chamborlin, R. D. Salisbury and J. P. Iddings, all 
of the University of Chicago; Ellen Hayes, Wellesley, Mass., and 
C. R. Van Hise, University of Wisconsin. 
A "CIRCILAR of INFOR.MATION" HAS BEKN ADDRESSED by Piofs. 
Le Conte and Lawson, of the University of California, represent- 
ing a larger "joint committee" of the people of that state recom- 
mending the proposition to institute a topf)graphicai survey of 
that state. The survev, if undertaken, is to l)e on the scale of one 
inch to one mile, or might vary witli conditions, and the sheets, 
for the valley and foot-hill areas of the state, would number 150 
or 200. The following specifications were agreed to by the joint 
committee and the director of tiie U. S. Geological Survey, and 
on this basis a proposed law will be brought befon^ the next leg- 
islatui-e. 
I. That. tli« map be a poinplp,t(^ (.'oiitoiu' topograpliical map, based 
upon triansnlation and Ipvcliiig, and coiistructc^d by plano-tabie snrvey, 
showing, in addition to liip natural foaturos. (1) all cxisring monnnuMits 
of townsliip and land grantcorncrs; (:i)ail railways, canalsand public dis- 
tributing dit<,-iio,s; (.'5) ail |)ublic roads, and all oiii(^r roads in unrestricted 
use, and tliercforc virtually public; (4) all county l)()undari('s: (.">) all 
<'ities, towns, villages, hamlets, [jrominent mines, and otliei' imimrlanl 
