Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-02-02
STATE BIOLOGISTS REPORT.

| STATE BIOLOGISTS REPORT.
The fourth annual report Of Prof G. r.
Perkins as Stntc geologist which has
Just been issued. contains a. variety ol
articles OF economic and scientific inn
portancc for the people OF this State; and
it will not only make valuable work
interesting reading by the public. Tho
first article Is an interesting biography
of Prof c. y Adams. the first State
seologst. who held the position in Is45
and the years following. written by Prof
II. NJ. Seely, the article being accom-
panied by an excellent portrait of Pro-
lessor Adams.
a feature of the report which will be
appreciated by those having occasion to
refer to such matters is list of the
works on the geology of Vermont. which
includes practically everything of I'M
portancc that has appeared on this sub
icct. 1t appears from the report that
during the year 1904 not less than s.. NO, coo
worth of stone was sold from our quar-
RIGS. statement which affords an ex-
ccllent idea of the value Of the mineral
resources of our state: and there is d
map showing the distribution of the gram
ito. marble and slate deposits of YER
mont In addition to brief accounts of
the different granite areas. which are
now worked. there is description of the
modern methods used 10 cut and polish
the rough stone. followed by similar ac-
counts in relation To tho marble and
slate industries of Vermont. The less
important varieties of stone mentioned
are limestone. soapstonc. kaolin. fire clay.
tale asbestos. and scythe stones.
1t appears from the report of the State
gcologist that tho only metals mined in
Vermont are copper and gold and u
somewhat fun statement of the fact..
in relation to these metals is given. The
reports of the platinum ores IN the State
arc discussed. and it is shown that al
though the quantity is exceedingly small.
vet platinum has actually been discov-
cred in some of the Vermont rocks.
A valuable chapter on "rhe Glaciation
Of the Green Mountain Range" is con-
tributed to the report by Professor Hitch
cock of Dartmouth, and this is followed
by paper on the asbestos region of
Lamoile county by Professor Marsters
of Columbia. There is also an account
of the geology ct Grand Isle county.
which supplements the account Of the
geology of Grand Isle given ira the prey
ious report. The geology of Isle La
Motto is treated with especial fullness
and two colOred maps illustrate this ac-
count. There is an interesting article on
'I'he Stromatocc of Isle LA Motto" by
Prof. II. NJ. Seely. Five new species of
these fossil corals are described and IL
Illustrated
The most important part of tho report
scientifically is tho description of the
Ignite or brown coal of Brandon and
its fossils, concerning which deposit only
a very little has ever been published
The present account gives resume of
all hitherto published and adds much
that is new. Tho fossils are nut like oh.
iccts. which are from fifth Of an inch
to an inch and n half long and OF a crea,
variety OF shapes. Only a few specics
have been found during past years. but
from the large quantity of tho Ignite
dug for use as fuel during tn. coal fam
inc of 1903 great number Of forms.
most OF them quite new. were obtained.
Plates following this article show 172 OIL
these strange fossils.
No other eroupof fossil fruits like those
from Brandon has ever been found in
America and the only localities any
" here from which anything at all SINH
lar has been taken are that at Oeningen,
in Switzerland, and the Isle of Sheppv.
in England. On this account this Bran
don deposit is of great scientific interest
ard in some respects quite inoxplicabie.
Professor Perkins excellent report
closes with chapter on drinking water
in Vermont in which it is shown that
Vermont is as well. if not better, fur |
nished with pure drinking water than
any other State. The report is illus |
lrated with 81 plates. two colored mans
md text figures. and we shall he sur.
prsed il there is not large demand for
n