1919.] 
New Zealand Institute Science Congress. 
291 
early as 1836, and that a general geological map by Andre H. Dumont 
was published in 1854.* According to Mourlon, the Belgian Geological 
Survey’s chief activities were (1) geological mapping, (2) economic appli¬ 
cations of geology, and (3) care of its library and the detailed cataloguing 
of geological literature. 
Scanty information concerning the Geological Surveys of other European 
countries is at hand. Woodwardf gives short accounts of the early history 
of the Geological Surveys of France, Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy, 
Russia, &c., but little or nothing concerning their organization can be 
gleaned from his remarks. 
O 
India . 
At the present time the most important Geological Surveys in the 
British dominions are those of Canada and India. The present Indian 
Geological Survey may be said to have begun in 1851, when Thomas 
Oldham became Superintendent. A geologist had been appointed to the 
Trigonometrical Survey of India as early as 1818, but when Oldham 
arrived in Calcutta he found the Geological Survey represented by “a 
room, a box, and a messenger. 
At the present time the technical staff of the Indian Geological Survey 
comprises the Director, several superintendents, numerous assistant super¬ 
intendents, sub-assistants, a palaeontologist, a chemist, a curator of the 
museum, &c. The general policy is directed by a Board of Scientific 
Advice-, on which the Director has a seat, and thus everything in the 
nature of political and lay control seems to be eliminated. The Survey 
devotes itself largely to economic geology, but also does much work of a 
high order in pure geology. Detailed geological mapping does not appear 
to be given a prominent position in the Survey’s activities. European 
specialists at one time were frequently employed, especially in connection 
with palaeontological research, but this system was not altogether satis¬ 
factory, and the Survey now relies mainly on its own men for all classes 
of geological research. From its museum collections of typical geological 
specimens are liberally distributed to other Indian museums and educational 
institutions. 
Canada. 
The Geological Survey of Canada was instituted in 1842, when W. E. 
Logan, who had assisted De la Beche in the survey of South Wales, was 
appointed Director. Among his successors were A. R. C. Selwyn and the 
two Dawsons (J. W. and G. M.). At the present time the Canadian 
Geological Survey is the largest and most active organization of its kind 
in the British dominions. It is controlled by the Minister of Mines, under 
whom is a permanent official, the Deputy Minister (Mr. R. G. McConnell, 
a geologist), in charge of the Geological Survey Branch and the Mines 
Branch. The Geological Survey staff consists of the Directing Geologist, 
seven district geologists, numerous geologists and assistant geologists, 
palaeontologists, mineralogist, topographers, biologists, anthropologists, 
geographers, draughtsmen, photographers, librarians, editors of publica¬ 
tions, accountants, and clerical staff. These officers are distributed among 
a number of “ divisions.” The Victoria Memorial Museum is also under 
* H. B. Woodward, History of Geology, p. 92, &c., 1911. 
t H. B. Woodward, op. cit., pp. 91, 92, &c 
± H. B. Woodward, op. cit, p. 90, quoting “ Fifty Years of Geological Survey in 
India,” Nature, p. 105, 31st May, 1900. 
