400 The American Geologist. June, i904. 
are especially interesting and complete. The charts have been 
prepared by C. R. Van Hise, C. K. Leith and W.N. Smith. 
•Bulletin No. 227 is entitled "The United States Geolog- 
ical Survey: its origin, development, organization, and oper- 
ations." It will be distributed at the Survey exhibit at St. 
Louis. 
A large party of topographers, acting in co-operation with 
the Maryland Geological Survey, has begun work in that 
state . It is expected that during the present season this party 
will complete the mapping of ten quadrangles, among which- 
will be four on the eastern coast of Maryland, thus completing 
the topographic suivey of that part of the state. 
A hydrographic manual has recently been issued as Water 
Supply and Irrigation Paper No. 94. 
Field assignments for 1904 in Alaska. The appropriation 
for work in Alaska was increased from $60,000 to $80,000 by 
the last Congress. This year nine parties, with three sub- 
parties, will be engaged in topographic and geologic work in 
Alaska. The parries are assigned as follows: 
1. Southeastern Alaska will be studied by C. W. and F. 
W. Wright. 
2. The placer district about Cook inlet will be studied bv 
Fred H. Moffit and E. G. Hamilton. 
3. The oil and coal fields of southwestern Alaska will be 
studied by G. C. Martin and R. W. Stone. This party will 
be accompanied bv T. W. Stanton, who will make extensive 
collections of fossils. 
4. T. G. Gerdine, R. B. Oliver and W. R. Hill will 
devote the season io topographic mapping in the Seward penin- 
sula . 
5 . The coal deposits of cape Lisburne and the tin depos- 
its of the York region will be studied bv A. J. Collier. 
6. L. M. Prindle and Frank L. Hess will study the pla- 
cer districts of central Alaska. 
7. Topographic mapping from Eagle to Rampart will be 
undertaken bv D. C. Witherspoon. 
8. C. W. Purington and Sidney Paige will investigate 
the placer-mining methods in vogue in Alaska. 
9. Alfrei H. Brooks, geologist in charge of the division 
of Alaskan mineral resources, will devote his time chiefly to 
administrative work and will visit most of the above field 
parties . 
The Mount Stuart (Washington) folio has recently been 
published. The author is George Otis Smith, and the folio 
describes an area 'n central Washington on the eastern slope of 
the Cascade mountains. Within this area are the three prin- 
cipal gold mining districts of central Washington, and copper, 
silver, nickel, quicksilver and coal also occur. 
