Personal and Scientific Neivs, 63 
Bulletin No. 217 on the general geology of southwestern 
Idaho and southeastern Oregon is ready for distribution. It 
was prepared by 1. C. Russell. 
An investigation of the lead and zinc deposits of the Mis- 
sissippi valley is being carried on by H. Foster Bain. During 
the past field season he has studied especially two of the dis- 
tricts of this region. These two districts are, first, that of 
southeastern Illinois and adjacent portions of Kentucky, and, 
second, that of the Upper Mississippi valley. 
The sulphur deposits of the Rabbit Hole Mining district of 
Nevada have been studied by George I. Adams. The deposits 
have been known for some years, and active mining in them 
has recentlv been undertaken bv the Nevada Sulphur Mining 
Co. 
On the 2 1 St of next March will occur the twenty-fifth anni- 
versary of the organization of the United States Geological 
Survey. It is proposed to celebrate the occasion by the publi- 
cation of a special bulletin describing the organization and 
work of the Survey and giving something of its history. The 
parts relating to the work of the different divisions are now 
being prepared and the whole will form a welcome addition to 
the literature of science. 
Bulletin No. 218, on "The coal resources of the Yukon," 
by Arthur J. Collier, has just been published. 
The Columbia (Tennessee) geologic folio has recently been 
issued. It was written by Messrs. C. W. Hayes and E. O. 
Ulrich and is of special interest in the fact that it contains de- 
scriptions of some of the important Tennessee phosphate de- 
posits. 
A number of small oil and gas wells are known in the vicin- 
ity of Mount Carmel in southeastern Illinois and adjacent por- 
tions of southwestern Indiana. This district has been studied 
by Mr. M. L. Fuller and the results of 'his work will be in- 
cluded in the Patoka geologic folio which is expected to be 
ready for distribution about January ist. No large pools have 
as yet been discovered. It is very probable that numerous 
pockets, some of them perhaps yielding profits on the invest- 
ments, would be f(nmd if the region were thoroughlv tested, 
although there is no reason to think that a very extensive oil 
field will ever be developed in this region. 
The geology and the ore deposits in the Tonopah mining 
camp, Nevada, have been studied by Mr. J. E. Spurr who has 
arrived at conclusions of importance from an economic stand- 
point. In order to get the results of this work quickly before 
the people interested in this district a preliminarv report, with 
a geological map, will be issued. 
Topographic maps of the Newbcrn and Tarboro quad- 
rangles. North Carolina, have been prepared bv the Survey in 
