ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 15 



as the mouth of the Stickeen river, and the lowest known limit on the coast is 

 about latitude 54° in British Columbia, east oiF Port Simpson. 



At the head of the Peninsula of Alaska is the commencement of another 

 great line of volcanic action, which extends to the southwest, forming the penin- 

 sula, and then curving to the westerly the long chain of Aleutian Islands, 

 stretching far towards the Kamschatka line, stepping stones, as they have been 

 aptly called, between the two continents. The rocks on the Island of Kodiak, 

 east of the peninsula, metamorphic slates and sandstones, also show a general 

 parallelism in their trend to that of their line of upheaval, trending N. E. and 

 S. W. instead of N. W. and S. E., as on the coast of the mainland. 



During the time spent by the recent expedition at Captain's Bay, Island of 

 Ounalaska, Mr. Blake, Dr. Kellogg, and two of the officers of the Lincoln, made 

 the ascent of Makuskin, an active volcano on the northern end of the island. 

 The height was determined approximately at 5,600 feet, that of the snow-line 

 at 3,168 feet, that of no vegetation at 2,500 feet, except the "red snow," which 

 occurred at from 4,000 to 4,500 feet. An incipient glacier curves gracefully 

 around a gorge on the east flank of the mountain. This island is marked by 

 the entire absence of trees,' though the hills are covered with a thick growth of 

 grass. It is apparently almost wholly made up of volcanic rocks. Perhaps 

 the most remarkable view of volcanic cones and peaks, snow-covered and rising 

 from the gea, to be found in the known world, is that of Unimak Island, with 

 its volcanic peaks of Shihaldin and Pogroumaja, both conical peaks of unbroken 

 symmetry, rising to heights of between 9,000 and 10,000 feet. Between them 

 is Destruction Peak, comparatively low and irregular in its outline, showing it 

 to be a volcano in its early stage of development. In 1863 its eruption caused 

 the loss of many lives, and hence its name. The mountains are entirely snow- 

 coveredj and between them are vast fields of snow. Only in limited areas along 

 the shore is snow absent. The angles of slope vary from 30° to 35°. 



Mr. Blake confirmed the previous statements as to the meao-re knowleds'e of 

 Alaska mineralogy. Good coal and paying quantities of gold are yet to be 

 discovered. Copper abounds on the dangerous Copper River, and magnetic 

 iron ore and galena are reported. Fossils of the carboniferous age occur at 

 Cape Beaufort on the Arctic coast; of the Jurassic period on the east coast of 

 the peninsula ; tertiary fossils on Kodiak Island, and several other points. 



Prof. Whitney read an interesting paper on the method pursued 

 by the Geological Survey in the naming of mountain peaks in 

 Cahfornia. 



Dr. Kellogg presented one hundred models of crystalline forms, 

 a gift to the Academy from Mr. Moore, late of Virginia City. 

 He also exhibited specimens' of Siberian plants, interesting from 

 their connection with the botany of our Northern Territory, with 

 Avhich they meet and mingle. Among the most marked spe- 

 cies were forms of Rhododendron, from Ounalaska ; of Campanula, 



