120 The American Geologist. August. 1904. 
of its irtception, growth, and work accomplished in its numerous and 
varied departments of surveys and researches in geology, paleontology, 
hydrography and hydrology (the former dealing with surface waters, 
and the latter with underground waters), chemical and physical studies, 
development of economic resources, topographic and geologic mapping, 
publications, etc. 
Nearly a third part, or, more exactly, 31 per cent, of the entire 
United States, excepting Alaska, has been topographically mapped by 
this Survey. Its geologic maps, in 106 published folios, cover about 
171,000 square miles, or an eighteenth part of the whole national do- 
main, again excepting Alaska and our island possessions. The map- 
ping of our geology may therefore occupy about fifty or a hundred 
years more. 
Prior to June 30, 1903, nearly 4,000,000 copies of the publications of 
the Survey had been distributed, including the annual reports, mono- 
graphs, professional papers, bulletins, water supply and irrigation pa- 
pers, geologic folios, and topographic atlas sheets. About two-thirds 
of this distribution of the Survey publications has been done within the 
last five years, showing a great increase in the popular use of the re- 
sults of this national work. w. u. 
Catalogue of the Ward-Coonley Collection of Meteorites. Henry 
A. Ward. pp. 113, 9 plates, morocco flexible covers, $1.50, Chicago, 
1904. 
This elegant publication is, like its author, sui generis. Other cat- 
alogues of meteorites have been printed, but they are the product of 
public or corporate institutions. Treatises on meteorites have been 
printed, but they have been extended descriptions and discussions. No 
catalogue lists so many falls as this. There are four "world collections" 
of meteorites, that of the British Museum, 577 falls, (catalogue of 
March, 1904), that of Vienna, 560 according to its last catalogue (Oct., 
1902), that of Paris, 466 (catalogue of 1898), and the Ward-Coonley 
collection, 603 falls. 
Dr. Ward gives a sketch of his methods of building up this col- 
lection. It is mainly by exchange, but this has been coupled with world- 
wide travel and liberal purchase. In four years this collection increased 
179 falls, or 45 falls per j'ear. Such growth, for a collection which al- 
ready contained 424 falls, "is unprecedented in the history of meteorite 
collections." 
The work does not go into the chemical or mineralogical details 
of composition of any of the specimens, but gives interesting statistics 
of date of fall, where described, name (and its synonyms) and tax- 
onomic classification according to Brezina's system. The catalogue also 
includes an alphabetical list of all known meteorites, with note of such 
synonyms as are important, also a list showing the geographical dis- 
tribution of all known meteorites, the total number being 651. The 
Ward-Coonley collection embraces 229 falls from North America, 31 
from South America, 213 from Europe, 77 from Asia, 27 from Africa, 
