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GEOLOGICAL SURVEYS IN ALABAMA.
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occurrence and composition of iron ores and limestones of this district. The report for 1876 continued the examination of the valley regions, and contained a paper on the Alabama fresh water shells by Dr. James Lewis, contributed by Mr. Aldrich.

In 1877-8 attention was turned to the Warrior Coal Field, till then comparatively unknown, and maps were published of Walker, Fayette, Marion, and Winston counties, which were practically underlaid with Coal Measures. Notwithstanding the fact that no coal was mined at that time in all this region, and it was not possible with the means at the disposal of the survey to open the seams so as to show their true value, the publication, especially of these maps, turned the attention of investors to these counties, and the next few years witnessed marvellous developments there.

In 1878-9 a movement was set on foot to secure an appropriation from Congress for the purpose of making navigable the Upper Warrior river to develop the coal seams along its course, and the writer, with Mr. McCalley and Mr. Jos. Squire, ran a line of levels from the forks of the Warrior down to Tuscaloosa, and made special re-examination of the coal seams within available distance from the river. The expense of this survey was borne chiefly by the War Department, but the map and report were published by the survey. In this document the details of the coal seams were given with a much greater degree of fullness than heretofore, together with many facts bearing upon their stratigraphical relations. In this volume was also a continuation by Mr. McCalley of the description of the Tennessee valley, begun in the year before by Mr. McCalley and myself; together with the analyses of some 50 specimens of coal from the Warrior field.

In 1880 the writer was requested by Dr. Hilgard to prepare for the Tenth Census a report on Cotton Culture in Alabama and Florida, and in 1883 was published the state report, embracing the results of these observations in Alabama. In addition to the special descriptive matter, this report contains a general discussion of the composition, mode of formation, and properties of

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