The Geological Survey

Major Powell, Director of the National Survey, reporta that a great part of the past year's work has been in the preparation of statistics relativo to the mining industries of the United States. At the beginning of the üscal year it was resolved to curtail the fleld work so as to give more attention to the study of the large mass of undeveloped matter which had accumulated. This wm-k consisted in the identiflcation, classification, and description of fossils ; the Chemical and microscopic examination of rocks, minerals and ores ; the construction of geologie sections ; the preparation of charts, diagrama, and other illustrations and the preparation of reports on the various subjects which bad occupied the attention of the scientiflc men of the survey. Experimenta were made under the management of the former director, Mr. Clarence King, on the various phenomena connected with rock formation. An examination, (chiefly in the laborator}), has been made of the structural geology of the Eureka mining district of Colorado, of the volcanic rocks of the Great Basin, and of Mounts Shasta, Hood and Eainer. Another department of the work has been the study of certain lake basina in Utah, Nevada, and California. These lakes are now mostly exlinct, Great Salt Lake being one of the few tions, and their history. which is now being atudied, includes a study of the quaternary climate, which leads in turn to a study of the climate of the arid portiaa of the IMted States, Vaother field of iuvesíigation has been the study of glacial formations extending from the Atlantic coast to the middle portion of the greatplains in northern latitudes. This investigaron also is a research relating to quaternary climate and to the characterand origin of the present topugraphie features of the area involved. Itivestigations have also been couducted relating to the economie geolgy of the Ten Mile district, Summit county, Colorado, and of the basaltic mesas at Golden, which will be extended to cover the entire Denver coal basin. Much time has been spent in the pieparation of a íeport on the Leadville district. In Nevada, the Eureka district has been carefully surveyed, and the report bas been prepared m the Comstock lode and the Washoe district. The director says that all of the investigations in economie geolgy will iiave a practical value in determining the characteristics of ore depesits, and will advance mining industries by pointing out the best methods of syst-ematic development. Early in the fiscal year geographical work was commenced in New Mexico and Arizona, preliminary to a geological examination of the country.