Ileview of Recent Geological Literature. 323 
Geologic formation. Geological survey, 
structure, map, 
conditions, bulletin, 
relations, report, 
evidences, exploration, 
period, hyyjothesis, 
age, time, etc. society. 
("Suggestions for the preparation of manuscript and illustrations for 
publication by the U.S. Geological Survey." By W. A. Croffut. Jan. 
1892. P. 8.) 
REVIEW OF RECENT GEOLOGICAL 
LITERATURE. 
SyUabuH of General Geology for Students, with definitions and refer- 
ences. By Christopher W. Hall. (8vo, 127 pp.; Minneapolis, The 
University Book Store, 1897.) This syllabus, planned as a guide for 
students in the study of the general principles of geology, is intended 
more especially for the use of the author's classes in the University of 
Minnesota. Hence there is considerable of local illustration and atten- 
tion is called, by excursions when possible, to those geologic phenome- 
na which find expression in the vicinity of Minneapolis. This feature, 
however, will by no means destroy the usefulness of the syllabus in oth- 
er institutions of learning, as the purely local matter can be disregard- 
ed and similar material for any locality can be supplied by the in- 
structor. 
The subject is divided into two parts— physical geology and histori- 
cal geology. Under the first are included geo-dynamics, structural ge- 
ology, physiographic geology and mineralogy: while under the second 
are petrographic, paleontologic and stratigraphic geology. This man- 
ner of division is followed throughout the syllabus excepting on the 
sixth page where the author presents his general classification of the 
science of geology, dividing it into three main sub-divisions, — geogra- 
phy, petrology and paleontology. The first includes meteorology, ocean- 
ography and physiography; the second, geo-dynamics, structural geol- 
ogy, mineralogy and petrography: and the third, paleobotany, paleo- 
xoology and stratigraphy. 
There are two important characteristics of this syllabus which ren- 
der it possibly unique among geological syllabi, -first the presence of 
definitions and second the wealth of detail. The definitions are numer- 
ous, but brief, and in many of them the wording is that of the author. 
In this connection it is interesting to note that the exact wording of any 
definition, adopted by a geologist, as evinced in the numerous text books 
on this science, frequently differ slightly from that given by any other 
writer in this line. The size of the syllabus (127 octavo pages of brevier 
type) is an indication of the amount of detail which it contains. This 
detailed treatment of the subject represents a great amount of work ou 
