288 The American Geologist. May, 1901. 
Sec. 6. And be it further enacted, That the said Geologist shall make 
collections of specimens to illustrate the mineral character and paleon- 
tology of the State, in addition to the zoological productions which by- 
law he is now required to collect, and to cause them to be suitably 
arranged and preserved in the State Cabinet, and in that of the Univer- 
sity ; and any duplicates that remain may be distributed by him among 
such of the incorporated colleges of the State as may apply for them. 
Sec. 7. And be it further enacted, That a sum not to exceed two 
thousand five hundred dollars be appropriated out of any money in the 
treasury, to be drawn upon the requisition of the Governor, for the pur- 
pose of carrying into effect the provisions of this Act. 
Sec. 8. Be it further enacted. That this Act shall be in force from 
and after its passage. 
Approved March i, 1854. 
Wailes' Report (the first of the Mississippi geological re- 
ports), of which the publication was provided for by the above 
act, bears the imprint of "E. Barksdale, State Printer, 1854," 
but was actually printed at Philadelphia, where Wailes re- 
mained during the greater part of 1854 to superintend its pas- 
sage through the press. The volume is an octavo of 371 
pages, with 17 illustrations, partly of a historical character, 
partly referring to the cotton industry ; eight illustrate geo- 
logical subjects, the most important being four plates of 
shells from the Jackson shell bed, named and described by 
Conrad. The report begins with a "historical outline" cov- 
ering 125 pages; a treatise on the agriculture of the state, 
partly historical and dealing largely with cotton culture, fol- 
lowed by some analyses of marls, cotton ashes and mineral 
waters, and covering 81 pages; meteorological data, 12 pp.; 
lists of fauna and flora, 46 pages ; appendices, with documents, 
25 pages. This summary is sufficiently indicative of the fact 
that Wailes was not, and did not write as a specialist in any 
department. He makes no attempt to classify the rocks he 
describes otherwise than as Cretaceous, Tertiary and Ouarter- 
nary, and inferentially classes among the latter the sandstone 
of the (irand Gulf grotip. which is mentioned as overlying 
"diluvial gravel." He traces correctly the northern limit of 
the Grand Gulf rocks from the Mississippi across Pearl river 
to Brandon, and describes its occtuTence in sotithwestern Mis- 
sissippi. 
It will be noted that although the act of 1854 designates 
Wailes as "state geologist," it does not create that office. 
