/,.-h THE GEOLOGICAL AND NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY OF MINNESOTA. THE THIRTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT, FOR THE YEAR 1884. N, H, WINCHELL STATE GEOLOGIST. Submitted to· the Pr~sid~{ R ii~ 'tJil;-.fersity, April1, 1885. :•• :: ••••• :-.- •• :•• :.:: •••!.- •••• ~.• :••: ••• . : : .. ~:.::-.. ! ! : :~Q . \ . .. .. .... ... .- .. :... :- .... :.. :: ....... ... .. .. ;~i; ~ ~.... ~ ~ ~\~ r·:· E:: U/ L f.'·o,: ..: ST. PAUL: THE PIONEER PRESS COMPANY. 1885. I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I .. ..... ... ..".. .. ....,... .. I ..: :::.. .. .'. .... .. ,.. I ... ... ..... ... ( .. " .. .... ..... :", a:: .:. .'.. I ... : ....... :::. ..... .. :. : ....': .',' . ., .. : : ... ,,: · . ... .... .." I ·, .," .. .....' .. ,'.. ... "': : :: : : :; : :: :: I ·.. .... , . .........' . .. '" . ...... ::: : :: : : : ... : I I I I I I I ADDRESS. THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA,} MINNEAPOLIS, MINN., April 1, 1885. To the President oj the University, DEAR SIR: I have the honor to present herewith the thir­ teenth annual report on the geological and natural history survey. Accompanying this is a copy of the second annual report for reprint, as that report is constantly requested by librarians and geologists who desire to complete their series, and has been out of print for several years. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, N. H. WINOHELL, State geologist and curator of the general museum. THE BOARD OF REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA. HENRY H. SIBLEY, President ................................................•..St. Paul. THOMAS S. BUCKHAM ....................................................... Fa.ribault. GREENLEAF CLARK ...............................................................St. Paul. JOHN S. PILLSBURY ........................................................ Minneapolis. KNUTE NELSON .................................................................. Alexandria. CUSHMAN K. DAVIS ............................................................... St. Paul. JOHN B. GILFILLAN,8ecretary ............................................. Minneapolis. EX OFFICIO. LUCIUS F. HUBBARD, Govemor ............................................. Red Wing. D. L. KIBHLE, Superintendent of public instruction ............... Minneapolis. WM. W. FOLWELL, Acting President of the University, CorresplYilding secretary . ................................................... Minnenpolis. REPORT. 1. SUMMARY STATEMENT. An edition of six hundred copies of the first volume of t,he final report of the survey was bound and distributed prior to De­ cember 1st. If the number bound and ready for distribution had been much larger the edition would have been exhausted im­ mediately. The distribution was made in accordance with the instructions of the secretary of state, as expressed in the follow­ ing circular, but the number of copies was not large enough to supply all the libraries and institutions contemplated by the instructions: RULES OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE FINAL REPORT OF THE GEOLOGICAL AND NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY OF MINNESOTA. In February, 1881, a bill was introduced in the state senate by Hon. J. B. Gilfillan, which had sundry provisions concerning the printing and distribution of the volumes of the final report of the st,ate geologist on the geological and natural history sur­ vey of the state_ Although this bill passed the senate it was lost in the house in the last days of the session, from lack of time. It is presumed that had it came to a vote in the house it would have passed, as it was approved uuauimously by the seu­ ate. It has therefore been adopted and followed as far as pos­ sible, in the publication of the first volume of the survey; aud 6 THIRTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT. will be in the future, unless the legislature orders otherwise. Section four of this bill reads as follows: "SEC. 4. The volumes of the final report of said survey, as they may be prepared by the state geologist from time to time, shall be issued in an edition of five thousand copies each, and shaH be distributed in the name of the board of regents of the University, under the direction of the state geologist, to scientific and educational institutions, and to individuals as fol­ lows: "To the library of each chartered college and scientific insti­ tution in Minnesota, three copies each; to each normal school, three copies; to the libraries of the institute for the deaf and mute, the insane asylums, the state prison, and every public li­ brary in the state, not otherwise designated, one copy each; to each county auditor for the use of the county, one copy; to each of the offices in the capitol, one copy; to each member of the board of regents, three copies; to the Historical Society, and to the Minnesota Academy of Sciences, ten copies each; to each newspaper published in the state, one copy; to each senator and representative of the present Legislature, one copy; to the gov· ernor and lieutenant governor, each one copy; to each assistant on the survey, who has furnished manuscript or illustrations published in the report, three copies; to other scientists in Min­ nesota, fifty copies; to the general office of each railroad that has furnished aid to the survey, three copies; to the library of each high school, furnishing students fitted for the freshman class of the State University, one copy; to the state library of each state in the Union, one copy; to each state university and col­ lege of agriculture and mechanic arts, one copy; to the geolo­ gists and naturalists of other stateS, two hundred copies; to the library of the University of Minnesota, two hundred copies; to other colleges and scientific institutions in the United States, one hundred copies; to foreign institutions and scientists, one hundred copies; and to the state geologist, twenty-five copies. The remainder shall be deposited in the State University, and shall be sold at such prices as the board of regents may deter­ mine; and the proceeds of such sales shall be used by said re­ gents for the purchase of apparatus and books for the survey, and after its completion, for the departments of natural science at the State University." The only departures from the foregoing, ordered by the secre­ tary of state, consist in the delivery of two hundred copies to STATE GEOLOGIST. 7 the secretary of state, for distribution to the offices of foreign consuls, and the transmission of the proceeds of all sales to the state treasurer at St. Paul. The copies remaining after this distribution will be sold at five dollars per copy for the best style, (tinted paper, half roan binding,) and three and a half dollars for the common style, bound in cloth, according to the direction of the executive com­ mit,tee of the board of regents, approved by the secretary of state. All corresIlondence should be addressed to N. H. WINCHELL, State geologist, Minneapolis, Minn. Unless the Legislature orders otherwise it is probable that the rest of the edition, when bound, will be disposed of according to this plan. From the last week in September to the end of the year the time and energy of the survey was given almost entirely to the work of preparing a suitable exhibit at the World's Cotton and Industrial Exposition at New Orleans. A portion of the accom­ panying report consists of a description of that exhibit, as pre­ pared, with the permission of the board of regents, under the direction, and mainly at the expense of the Minnesota State Board of Collective Exhibits. From December 1st till January 11th, I was in New Orleans, occupied with the installation of this exhibit. Mr. Upham was also absent on the same work from December 1st till Christma.'l, and my son H. V. Winchell, who had been casually and temporarily occupied throughout the sum­ mer in laboratory and office work of the survey, and continually through the fall on the New Orleans exhibit, was left as perma­ nent custodian of the property. The aggregate value of the ar· ticles belonging to this portion of the Minnesota exhibit is about six thousand dollars, as estimated for the placing of insurance. Mr. C. L. Herrick who was at work on the mammals of the state, and had spent about a year in making original observations thereon, was appointed to a position on the faculty of Denison University, in the state of Ohio, and was released during the fall, and till January 1, 1885, to discharge those duties. He has now, however, resumed work, and will render his final report on this branch of the natural history of the state before the close of the year 1885. 8 THIRTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT. Dr. P. L. Hatch's report on ornithology has not yet been tendered, but it is expected that it will be ready for publication in the early part of the present year. In order to complete the publication of material already on hand, relating to the geology proper, provision ought to be made, during the legislative session of 1885, for the printing of another volume. This would be largely devoted to a belt of counties in the central portion of the state, and would be of scope a,nd plan similar to volume one. At the World's Industrial and Cotton Centennial Exposition, now being held at New Orleans, the State of Minnesota for the fiI'st time publicly exhibits two new products of her natural resources-salt and iron. The brine derived from the well at Humbolt, in Kittson county, is an augury of what may be in the future. The brine which overflows at the surface has more than the average per cent of chloride of sodium found in the Michigan brines, while the tot,al solid matter in solution (including