ON THE PROGRESS OF SCIENCE. 23 



determined to a neai'er approximation than that obtained by Laplace, the 

 secular variation in the moon's mean motion. The former investigation is 

 published in an appendix to the Nautical Almanac for 1856 ; the latter 

 has been very recently presented to the Royal Society ' ' Hopkins' Address 

 before the British Association. 



At the sitting of the Academy of Sciences at Paris, November, 1852, 

 M. Faye announced the publication by M. Struve, of his new catalogue of 

 stars, at Dorpat, in Russia. In it he states that, for 100 years last past, 

 the motion of the double star, 61 Cygni, instead of being in orbits one 

 around the other, has been in fact only a right line movement. Bessel and 

 other distinguished astronomers had entertained no doubt of the orbital 

 movement, although the semi-major axis did not subtend an angle exceed- 

 ing (16") sixteen seconds. 



The first report on the Geology of the State of Illinois, has been made 

 to the Legislature during the past year, by Dr. Norwood. The results of 

 the Survey have already had the effect of diverting mining capital to the 

 counties of Pope and Hardin, where it is reported that very large veins of 

 lead and iron may be had for the digging. The only iron furnaces in Illi- 

 nois are in operation in the latter county. They are two in number, and 

 make iron of excellent quality. Of coal and the ores of iron, there are 

 believed to be inexhaustible supplies. Dr. Norwood has explored the State 

 in various directions. Reconnoissances were made of all the principal 

 points in twenty counties, principally along the southern tier. The work, 

 however, has but fairly commenced, and many years will be required to 

 carry it to a satisfactory completion. 



Dr. Norwood, in his report, discusses at some length the formation of 

 the bed of the Mississippi river and its tributaries. His theory is similar 

 to that contended for by Mr. Phillips and some others, viz : that the Mis- 

 sissippi line traverses a ridge, and not a valley, and that the strata dip 

 from the river, sloping respectively east and west. In other words, that 

 the bed of the Mississippi traverses a line of anticlinal axes, or upheavals. 



In 1837, by an Act of the Legislature, a Geological Survey of the State 

 of Ohio was commenced, and continued in 1838, by Prof. Mather, and an 

 able corps of assistants. Eleven counties only were examined, when the 

 Commission was obliged to relinquish its labors, in consequence of the fail- 

 ure of the appropriations. At the last meeting of the State Board of Agri- 

 culture, at Columbus, it was resolved to petition the Legislature for the 

 further continuance of the work. Similar action has also been taken by 

 the American Association for the Promotion of Science. 



Since the publication of Dr. Owen's Report on the Geology of Iowa and 

 Wisconsin, in which attention was particularly directed to the extraordi- 

 nary fossils of the Mauvaise Terres, or Bad Lands of Nebraska, three 



