9. The section of western fuels-M. R. Campbell, geologist in charge conducts examinations and surveys in the fuel-bearing areas west of the one-hundredth meridian similar to those carried on by the section of eastern fuels. The greater part of the work of the western section has consisted in classifying and mapping coal or oil bearing lands of the public domain in California, Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming, but a part of the work in this section was done in quadrangle units for folio publication, subject to the approval of the geologist in charge of the section of western areal geology.

The section of geologic-map editing-G. W. Stose, geologist in charge—is a part of the publication branch, but its work is so intimately associated with the work of the individual geologists in the division of geology that it is administered as a part of the geologic branch, in which the chief of the section is an active geologist. The geologic field investigations made by Mr. Stose are reported in the work of the sections to which they pertain.

ASSISTANCE TO OTHER DIVISIONS.

In addition to performing work in their respective sections, a considerable number of the geologists in the sections of metalliferous and nonmetalliferous deposits and several geologists in the sections of eastern and western areal geology have prepared for publication, in the annual volumes of Mineral Resources, reports on the production and statements of the industrial conditions relating to a large number of mineral resources with which they are especially familiar. Parts of the salaries of some of these geologists are paid from the funds of the division of mineral resources, and the traveling and field expenses incurred by others in the collection of data are also paid from the funds of that division.

A number of economic geologists of this division serve as members of the special committees of the land-classification board. The paleontologists of the division report on fossils collected for the division of Alaskan mineral resources and are called upon to classify fossils for the National Museum and, through courtesy, occasionally for foreign governments and other scientific institutions.

Close cooperation, with constant interchange of information, exists between the geologic branch and the water-resources branch in the investigation of underground-water movements and supplies and of sedimentary deposition. Members of the land-classification board serve in the geologic field parties.

COMMITTEE ON GEOLOGIC NAMES.

The committee on geologic names is a standing committee of the geologic branch, consisting of T. W. Stanton (chairman), M. R. Campbell (vice chairman), W. C. Alden, G. H. Ashley, Arthur Keith, F. L.

Ransome, G. W. Stose, and David White. The minutes and other records are kept by the secretary, Miss M. G. Wilmarth, who also scrutinizes the geologic nomenclature and classification used in all manuscripts submitted for publication and prepares data on them for consideration by the committee. During the year 175 manuscripts, comprising 19,425 pages and involving about 3,643 geologic names, have been examined.

To meet the needs of the Survey geologists, as well as a strong demand from professional geologists in general, the work of compiling correlation charts and a stratigraphic lexicon of geologic formations in the United States and Alaska, in form for publication as bulletins, has been begun. The committee has invited the advice and cooperation of over 200 American geologists in the consideration of general questions relating to the revision of the classification and the nomenclature of North American geologic formations.

GENERAL SUMMARY.

Geologic investigations were continued in 47 States by a force of 164 geologists. Systematic detailed surveys of mining districts were carried on in Arizona, Colorado, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, and Utah. Reconnaissance studies of mining districts were made in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kentucky, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Tennessee, Utah, and Wyoming, and general and detailed geologic and paleontologic work was continued in all parts of the country, including a large amount of geologic work in the coal and oil fields, especially in the public-land States, where also the search for commercial deposits of potash and nitrates was continued. Cooperative geologic work was carried on with the State geological surveys of 17 States, also with the Bureau of Mines, Bureau of Standards, Office of Public Roads, Bureau of Fisheries, Forest Service, Smithsonian Institution, Lighthouse Service, Geophysical Laboratory of the Carnegie Institution and the marine biologic station at Dry Tortugas.

Among the geologic investigations not relating to any particular region mention may be made (1) of the extension of the studies of sulphide enrichment, by W. H. Emmons, who has submitted a revised and greatly enlarged text replacing Bulletin 529 on this subject; and (2) of the investigation by David White into the origin of coal and petroleum and the development of the different classes of these fuels. The origin and the conditions of occurrence of oils of successively higher grades, and some conditions precluding the occurrence of oils in different regions are discussed in an address by Mr. White before the Washington Academy of Sciences and printed in the Journal of the Academy for March 19. A general paper on the origin of coal, prepared by Mr. White several years ago for

publication by the Bureau of Mines, has been printed in Bulletin 38 of that bureau.

WORK OF THE DIVISION BY STATES AND COUNTRIES.

The work of the division of geology during the year was done in 47 States, the Canal Zone, the Antilles, and the Hawaiian Islands.

ALABAMA.

The upper Eocene and Oligocene formations of Alabama have been thoroughly studied by C. Wythe Cooke, whose stratigraphic correlations have been transmitted for publication by the Survey as Professional Paper 95-I, "The age of the Ocala limestone." Mr. Cooke has in preparation also a preliminary account of the stratigraphy of the St. Stephens limestone.

Two manuscripts, one on the Catahoula formation and the other on the Pliocene of the Gulf Coastal Plain, have been submitted by G. C. Matson and E. W. Berry, Mr. Matson writing the stratigraphic descriptions and Mr. Berry the paleontologic descriptions and correlations, based on the study of the fossil plants. Mr. Berry has in preparation also a report on the fossil flora of the Claiborne group.

For the better definition and correlation of several of the formations to be described and mapped in the Bessemer-Vandiver and Montevallo-Columbiana folios, additional field examinations were made by Charles Butts, partly in conference with E. O. Ulrich, in the vicinity of Pelham and in the Shades Valley southeast of Bessemer. Paleontologic data for correlations in other regions of the State were collected by R. D. Mesler from the earlier Paleozoic formations.

In accordance with an informal cooperative agreement between the State geologists of a number of the Mississippi Valley States and the Federal Survey for the purpose of better differentiating the Mississippian formations and establishing correlations between different regions of the Mississippi, Ohio, Tennessee, and Appalachian valleys, the Carboniferous rocks of the Mississippian section near Huntsville were studied by G. H. Girty, with the object of collecting invertebrate fossils and making correlations.

The mica deposits in Randolph, Clay, Tallapoosa, and Coosa counties were examined by D. B. Sterrett, who has nearly completed the field work for a report on mica in Alabama.

A little field work was done on the red iron ores of northeastern Alabama by E. F. Burchard.

ARIZONA.

The quicksilver deposits of the Mazatzal Mountains, covering an area of about 20 square miles, were examined by F. L. Ransome, who submitted a brief report thereon (Bulletin 620-F). Mr. Ransome

also made a geologic reconnaissance of the Sierra Ancha and paid short visits to the Ray and Miami mining districts for the purpose of collecting supplementary specimens and data for his economic report on these districts. A brief paper on the Paleozoic section in the Ray quadrangle was published by Mr. Ransome in an unofficial periodical. A report on the mineral deposits of the Santa Rita and Patagonia Mountains by F. C. Schrader was published as Bulletin 582.

A detailed examination of the Colorado River and Yuma Indian reservations, primarily for purposes of classification, was made at the request of the Office of Indian Affairs. Some of the results of this work, which was done by E. L. Jones, jr., were embodied in a paper on the placer deposits near Quartzsite (Bulletin 620-C). Mr. Jones also prepared a brief report on a reconnaissance covering perhaps 60 square miles in the Kofa Mountains (Bulletin 620-H) and has in preparation a short report on the Dos Cabezas mining district, the field work for which was done during the previous season. A preliminary draft of the Tucson folio, on which C. F. Tolman, jr., has been engaged, was submitted by him, but further field work is necessary before the text and maps will be ready for publication.

A report on the Shinumo quadrangle, in the Grand Canyon district, by L. F. Noble, appeared as Bulletin 549. Further studies of Grand Canyon geology are being prosecuted by Mr. Noble, chiefly at his own

expense.

The detailed areal and economic survey of the geology of the Winkelman quadrangle has been begun by C. H. Clapp, who has mapped 173 square miles.

A reconnaissance report on northeastern Arizona and northwestern New Mexico, based on several years of field examinations by H. E. Gregory, has been nearly completed. Field work in this region is now in progress.

In connection with the preparation of the guidebook to the region along the Santa Fe Route, from Kansas City to Los Angeles, field examinations were made at a number of points in Arizona.

At the request of the Department of Agriculture an examination of some mining claims in the Grand Canyon was made by H. G. Ferguson, whose preliminary report has been transmitted to the Secretary of the Interior.

ARKANSAS.

A study of the recent geologic history in the vicinity of Moon Lake for the Department of Justice, by E. W. Shaw, has resulted in interesting observations on the processes and effects of erosion and sedimentation, which will be incorporated in Mr. Shaw's report on the Mississippi embayment.

The fossil floras of the Jackson and Claiborne groups in Arkansas are now being studied by E. W. Berry. The results of this work

will be important not only in correlations between other areas and Arkansas but in contributing to knowledge of the extinct floras of the earlier Tertiary in southern North America.

Short examinations, necessary for the correlation of the formations of the Hot Springs, Caddo Gap, and DeQueen quadrangles, were made by H. D. Miser. The Hot Springs folio is well advanced toward completion and the manuscript for the Caddo Gap-DeQueen folio is progressing satisfactorily.

A folio covering the Harrison and Eureka Springs quadrangles was completed by H. D. Miser and A. H. Purdue and has been submitted for publication.

The gypsum deposits of Arkansas have been described by Mr. Miser for publication in the revised edition of Bulletin 223. Mr. Miser also furnished the Arkansas data for use in the revision of Bulletin 585, "Useful minerals of the United States."

Water-Supply Paper 399, "Geology and underground waters of northeastern Arkansas," by L. W. Stephenson and A. F. Crider, with a discussion of the chemical character of the water by R. B. Dole, has been revised and is now in the hands of the editor.

The asphalt deposits near Mena were examined by C. H. Wegemann. These deposits are interesting mainly because of the advanced carbonization of the hydrocarbon substance, which appears to have suffered alteration.

The Carboniferous faunas of Arkansas have been described by G. H. Girty in Bulletins 593, 595, and 598, in press at the close of the fiscal year.

CALIFORNIA.

A review of the deposits of salt, soda, borax, and potash at Searles Lake, San Bernardino County, was made by H. S. Gale, and a report on these deposits was issued as Bulletin 580-L. A brief report on the Amargosa nitrate area, in Inyo County, by Mr. Gale, was transmitted to the War Department, at whose request the examination was made.

Studies of the petroleum resources of the State were continued by R. W. Pack, G. S. Rogers, and W. A. English, and the investigation of the Sunset-Midway field was completed, special attention being given to the underground conditions as revealed by the drill records, in order to discover, if possible, the laws governing the accumulation of oil and gas and particularly the relation of productive pools to geologic structure and to water. A detailed resurvey, including about 300 square miles, was made of the areal geology in this field and the surrounding areas, the description of which, mainly by Mr. Pack, is now in preparation. Special attention was given by Mr. Rogers to the conditions of water movement and invasion. In prosecuting this