Kd'itoi'htl Com iiK'iit. ?A\~ 
fining the purpose of the :ippi'oi)ri;itioii in tlic •Sundrv ('i\ir 
l)ill. substituting '■ United States" for ^- national domain." tlie 
investigations of tlie (ieological survey were autiiorized in 1SS:>. 
to lie carried on in the wliole area of the United States. In lieu, 
liowever, of tiie previous definition of the duties of the survey the 
phraseology reads: --To continue the preparation of a geological 
map of the United States." There was no new act. The old 
duties were not abrogated, but something, not before authorized. 
is ordered to lie •continued. " Under this appropriation, tliu.s 
illv and unwittingly introtbiced into the expenses of the (Jovern- 
ment, the U. S. (Geological survey entered upon a vast undertak- 
ing. Not to be limited to the strictly geological duties that had 
been defined in the original law. the survey now organized a corps 
of topographic surveyors and engineers and began a rapid .semi- 
geodetic survey for topographical mapping of thel'nited States. as 
a basis for the contemplated geological maj) of its domains. For 
this work a large amount of the annual api)ro[)riation by Congress 
for the ••geological map of the United States' has lieen expended. 
From year to year, for the past ten years the appropriation for a 
••geological map of the United States' has been taken to mean a 
continuance of all the original obligations and functions of the 
survey, and the conduct of a network of triangulation in various 
scattered areas in the country for later topographical mapping. 
This triangidation work has been filled in in several places, and 
maps have been constructed for geological purposes. Such maps 
are said to have cost sometimes one dollar, sometimes two dollars, 
and occasionally three or four dollars per scpiare mile of the area 
mapped. 
Congress took no action concerning the establishment of a 
mensuration survey, under the recommendation of the Academy 
of Natural Sciences. Prof. J. K. Hilgard. then sui)erintendent 
of the Coast and Geodetic survey, seems not to inive fully and 
fairly appreciated the situation. He neither took advantage of 
the favorable recommendation of tlu' Academy of Sciences, in 
1878, nor in 1884, when the suliject was again lieing investigated, 
did he adetpiately represent the functions and the duties, present 
and i)rospective, of the Coast and (Jeodi'tic survey. Fartly from 
necessity and partly from inclinjition. therefore, the toi)()grai)hical 
work of the U. S. (Jeological survey took on the characters and 
began the ina[)[iing which Avere the special pi-erogative and 
