4-1 PKOCEEDINGS OF THE CALIFORNIA 



rich specimens, forming a collection of two or three hundred. Mr. 

 Hanks had explored the Montgomery, Blind Springs, Keyes, Inyo, 

 Russ, Kearsarge, Coso, Alabama, Telescope, Slate Range, Argus, 

 Salt Spring, Washington, and other districts, whence many valuable 

 specimens were obtained. Some of these were labeled as assaying 

 equal to the White Pine ores. 



The article referred more especially to the Inyo District, Death 

 Valley, and particularly to the " Gun Sight" lead, the first silver 

 found in California of which any record exists. He stated that an 

 immigrant party in 1849 came in and reported having seen fabulously 

 rich silver mines on their way, and brought in specimens of pure 

 silver. In 1850, Dr. French, at the head of a party went out to 

 search for it, but unsuccessfully, and it has existed in story ever since. 

 The finest specimens exhibited by Mr. Hanks were of argentiferous 

 galena, tetrahedrite, kerargyrite, stromeyerite, and molybdate of 

 lead. There was also a large and rich specimen of partzite, from 

 the "Blind Springs" District. Some of the ores from the Mont- 

 gomery District, at the northern end of Owens Valley show an abun- 

 dance of free silver. 



Dr. Gibbons made an interesting statement in relation to the 

 swelling and shrinking of adobe land under the influence of rain 

 and drouth, its effect upon buildings, and observed that cracks in 

 walls thus caused were often erroneously attributed to earthquakes. 



Regular Meeting, February 15th, 1869. 

 Vice-President in the Chair. 



Twenty members present. 



J. W. Hobson, J. J. Stevenson, M.D., and Smythe Clark were 

 elected resident members. 



Donations to the Library: Transactions of Albany Inst., Vol. 

 5, 1868, 8vo. ; Smithsonian Miscell. Coll., vols. 6 and 7, Wash., 

 1868, 8vo. ; Jour. fur. Meteorologie, Nos. 13 to 17, 8vo. ; 

 Zoolog. Miscellen., No. 9, pam. 8vo. ; Abhandl. der Zoolog. 

 Mineralog. Vereins, Regensburg, 1860 and 1864, 2 vols., 8vo. ; 



