In commencing a new volume the Editors desire to convey their thanks for the generous support they have received during the past year from contributors and subscribers. They still, however, find themselves faced with financial difficulties of a serious nature, arising from the continued increase in the cost of production, For the first half of 1920 a small profit was made, but this was almost wiped oyt by a considerable further rise in the cost of printing in the middle of the year. An important item in expenses is the cost of plates, and they are regretfully compelled to inform their contributors that it will under persent conditions be impossible to produce plates at the expense of the magazine. They feel sure, however, that their friends will not hesitate to incur the expense involved in meeting the cost of the illustrations, which are so voluntarily in the past, and the editors trust that even under the present conditions, that bear so heavily on people of moderate means, they will be able to continue to provide them.

In the great chains of mountains belonging to the alpine system, stretchin from the Armenian upland throught Eastern Mesopotamia, Western and Sourthern Persia, and Baluchistan up to the Indus, then—in a great curve—encircling the Indian tableland in the Kirthar and Suleiman ranges and the Himalayas, then in the east turing south to Burma—there are several regions rich in oil, following the foot of the mountain-ranges on the border of the plains extending in front to the south. The most important of these oil-regions arrange themselves into three chief groups: the Mesopotamian-Persian region, the Baluchistan-Punjab region, and the Burmese region.

Since my papers on “The Superficial Deposits and Preglacial Valleys of the Northumberland and Durham Coalfield” 1 and “The Origin and Influence of the chief Physical Features of Northumberland and Durham” 2 were published, a great deal of detailed work has been done on the glacial phenomena in the two north-eastern counties by Smythe,3 Merrick,4 Herdman,5 Trechmann,6 and myself.7 As I have given much attention to this subject it may be of interest and value if I give a brief resume of my views, a general summary of the work done, and attempt to show the general sequence of the phenomena that have been described. My extensive study of the Drift in these two countries and elsewhere has convinced me of its complexity. I cannot, therefore, be dogmatic on any points, but will endeavour to show the general trend of my thoughts on the subject.

The following article originally appeared in the Times Trade Supplement of August 28 last. It is here reprinted with some small additions by the courtesy of the proprietors of that Journal.

Black and white shading is frequently employed in geological maps and sketches, but there is a remarkable absence of uniformity in the means by which different strata have been represented.