336 The American Geologist. May, i899 
or slack, and forms a covering of mud, which is for the time being, 
their protection. This condition naturally deceives the collector, who. 
forgetting that this covering of mud, has preserved the fossils underly- 
ing it from the elements, passes it by, and thus loses what may have 
proved to be a valuable find. Had this but been known, a different 
story from collections, deficient in specimens from the Cincinnati 
shales would have been told. Perfectly fresh shale is at all times dif- 
ficult to work, being tough and punky, and it is almost impossible to 
split it with a hammer. During the hot summer months those shales 
which have been subjected to alternate bakings and soakings, are un- 
fit for satisfactory work. The fossils generally scale, and as a rule are 
not in the best state of preservation. 
These notes are written with the hope that local collectors who 
have previously been unsuccessful in working the shales may profit 
by my experience. 
Washington, D. C. Henry E. Dickhaut. 
••The TRUTH ABOUT THE Nampa Figurine. "-In his resurrection of 
the much-ventilated Nampa image, under the above caption, in the 
April number of the American Geologist, reverend professor Wright 
refers to "Mr. McGee, who for so long a time occupied the position 
of literary censor in the United States Geological Survey" (p. 270). 
In its relation to the truth, this allegation is of a piece with other 
statements throughout the argument. The facts — which are largely 
matters of public record, and are pretty generally known among the 
geologists of the country — are (i) that throughout the entire period 
of my connection with the U. S. Geological Survey I was engaged, 
ofificially and actually, in original researches in geology, with ancillary 
work in the preparation of my own results for publication and in the 
administration of the alTairs of my own division of the survey; (2) that 
during portions of the period I, like several associates, had some ad- 
visory connection with the general administration of the Survey; and 
(3) that, throughout the entire period, my work was of such character 
as to bring me less censorial duty than fell to the share of most of 
my associates of corresponding grade. 
W J McGee. 
