Review of Recent Geological Literature. 255 
Ellcnsburg (WasJungion) Folio. By George Otis Smith. (Geol. Atlas 
of the U. S., folio No. 86, 1903.) 
This district is in south central Washington on the border between 
the eastern slope of the Cascade mountains and the western part of 
the great plain of the Columbia. The rocks are mainly volcanic, consist- 
ing largely of two series of basals (called the Yakima and the Wenas 
basalts of Neocene age. Later flows of andesyte, dating from the 
Pleistocene, occupy some of the valleys, and there is a series of fluviatile 
deposits which are at times interbedded with the later (Wenas) basalts. 
To these sediments the term Ellensburg formation is applied. The wider 
valleys contain deposits of Pleistocene alluvium and gravel. 
One of the most interesting parts of the description of this quad- 
rangle is Dr. Smith's explanation of the physiographic features of the 
district After the deposition of the Neocene basalts and sediments the 
district was gently folded and eroded to a peneplain. An uplifting and 
gentle folding of the peneplain surface then took place, and erosion 
again began its work, continuing to the present day. The main stream 
of the district is the Yakima which flows southward near the eastern 
edge of the quadrangle. This river was able to maintain its course 
across the rising east-west folds of the last period of orogenic movement 
and is deeply intrenched in canyons where it crosses these ridges ; the 
Yakima is thus regarded as an antecedent stream. The smaller streams 
of the district flow eastward to the Yakima and are, at least in a number 
of instances, confined to the axes of the synclines, which have been 
little eroded since the warping of the peneplain surface. These streams 
are thus consequent in nature, and the ridges separating them are anti- 
clinal in structure. u. s. G. 
United States Geological Survey. Chicago Folio, No. 81. Willi.\m 
C. Alden. 1902- 
'United States Geological Survey, Masonton'n-Uniontozi'n Folio, No. 
82. Marius R. Campbell. 1902. 
United States Geological Survey, Dituey Folio, No. 84. M. L. Fuller 
AND Geo. H. Ashley, 1902. 
Probably there is no geological publication extant that excels these 
folios in the exactness of the information given, in the fullness of 
description, the clearness of presentation, the time and expense involved 
in the preparation, the excellence of the engraving and printing and 
the cheapness at which they are sold to the public. 
The work of some of the early j^ears of the United States Geolog- 
ical Survey was severely criticised, both for its lack of correct cor- 
relation and its inaccurate topography. Those faults may be ascribed to 
a shifty and somewhat unsystematized method of procedure, errors that 
are incident to any enterprise of great scope at the time of its incep- 
tion. But of late these faults have been eliminated and no one seems to 
have the ability, if he had the disposition, to point out errors or to 
suggest inprovements. 
These are truly "final reports," constructed on the same idea, but 
not always on the same plan as most of the "county reports" of the 
state surveys, but including areas that disregard county lioundaries, 
