it and the Pacific Ocean—a country of the highest importance from its abundant silver districts. To this district was assigned G. K. Gilbert, as geologist in charge, whose headquarters were, for convenience of access, also placed at Salt Lake City. The fourth division is that of the Pacific, and embraces the whole of Washington Territory, that part of Oregon which lies west of the Blue Mountains, and all of California except the desert region lying east of the Sierra Nevada and south of the 38th parallel. Mr. Arnold Hague, as geologist in charge, has his headquarters at San Francisco. The director states that “as soon as the work upon the cañons and plateaus of Colorado is done, it is intended to discontinue that division and to divide it on the line of the Colorado River between the divisions of the Rocky Mountains and that of the Great Basin.”
The corps of the geological survey, as now organized, is divided into two classes: First, members of the regular and permanent corps, who are nominated by the director and appointed by the Secretary of the Interior, their appointments being made out and oaths of office being filled in the appointment office, Department of the Interior; second, temporary appointments, which the director is authorized to make and to revoke. Appointments to positions requiring scientific knowledge and practical experience are made only after a severe scrutiny of the qualifications of the applicant. Applicants for appointment under the division of general geology are required to furnish proper evidence of a good working knowledge of mathematics, physics, chemistry, geology, and mineralogy. Such evidence will consist of degrees of universities, or the testimony of experts in the required branches, or the result of a written examination. Applicants for appointment under the division of mining geology must furnish equivalent evidence of a working knowledge of mathematics, mechanics, mining geology, chemistry, metallurgy, and the mineralogy of economic mineral products. The corps consists of the director, eight geologists, five assistant geologists, one chief topographer, four topographers, two assistant topographers, one chemist, one photographer, one chief disbursing clerk, one disbursing clerk, three clerks, two messengers, and two watchmen. The appropriation for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1880, was $100,000, and the amount expended from this appropriation for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1880, was $79,375.57, and the amount remaining unexpended June 30, 1880, but required to meet outstanding liabilities, $20,624.43.
There are among the members of the geological survey men of established and recognized eminence in their profession. With the approval of the Secretary of the Interior the geological survey was entrusted by the superintendent of the census with the collection of statistics of the precious metals, iron, coal, petroleum, copper, lead, quicksilver, and zinc, for the census. In order to conform to the requirments of laws governing the census and the survey, the geological director and several of the
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