Notes

Abstract

THE Eighth Annual Report of the Geological and Geographical Survey of the Territories, under the direction of Prof. F. V. Hayden, has just been issued from the U.S. Government Printing Office. It is a report of progress of the explorations, mainly in Colorado, for the year 1874, and contains twelve articles in 500 octavo pages, and eighty-eight illustrations, including maps and sections. It commences with an introductory letter to the Secretary of the Interior, under whose auspices the survey is conducted, which contains a general account of the organisation of the various field divisions, and the progress of the work. Following this is the part devoted to geology, mineralogy, and mining industry, containing the leports of Prof. Hayden, Wm. H. Holmes, Dr, A. C. Peale, Dr. F. M. Endlich, and Samuel Aughey, Ph.D. Dr. Hayden's report is devoted to the special geology of the eastern part of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado, the Arkansas Valley, and portions of the Elk Mountains. The report of Wm. H. Holmes is devoted to the geology of the north-western portion of the Elk Mountains. The report of Dr. A. C. Peale gives the general and special features of the district assigned to the middle division of the survey, viz., the country lying between the Grand and Gunnison rivers west of the 107th meridian. Dr. F. M. Endlich reports on the San Juan country, giving chapters on the metamorphic, volcanic, and sedimentary areas and mines of the region. All these reports are abundantly illustrated with woodcuts, sections, and geological maps. Dr. Samuel Aughey has an interesting and practical report on the superficial deposits in Nebraska. The second paper is devoted to palæontology, and contains papers on the flora of the lignitic formations of North America, by Mr. Leo Lesquereux, A large number of new fossil plants are described and illustrated in eight plates. Following the palæontology is the report of Mr. W. H. Jackson on the ancient ruins of South-western Colorado. Eight plates of the cliff-houses, cave-dwellings, and other ruins of the Mancos, McElmo, and Hovenweep rivers accompany the report. Following Mr. Jackson's interesting report is an article on the zoological work for 1874. It contains descriptions and figures of several new species in conchology. The last division of the volume comprises the portion devoted to topography and geography, containing the following reports:—Mr. Henry Gannett's on the middle district, Mr. S. B. Ladd's on the northern district, and Mr. A. D. Wilson's and Franklin Rhoda's on the San Juan or southern district. These reports give the general topographical features of the areas surveyed, the means of communication and elevations of principal points. A complete table of contents and exhaustive indexes accompany the report. There is a general index of systematic names.