1891.] NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 57 



NOMINATIONS OF OFFICERS FOR 1891-'92. 



Presicleiit, John S. Newberry. 



First Vice-President, Oliver P. Hubbard. 



Second Vice-President, J. A. Allen. 



Corresponding Secretary, Thomas L. Casey. 



Recording Secretary, H. Carrington Bolton. 



Treasurer, Henry Dudley. 



Librarian, John I. Northrop. 



Councillors, N. L. Britton, Charles F. Cox, A. A. Julien, 

 I). S. Martin, J. K. Rees, J. J. Stevenson. 



Curators, Geo. F. Kunz, John I. Northrop, N, L. Brit- 

 ton, D. S. Marti NT, H. T. Vulte. 



Finance Committee, John H. Hinton, H. G. Marquand, 

 O. B. Potter. 



Dr. a. p. Ledoux exhibited specimens of petroleum oil oc- 

 cluded in quartz crystals from Marsluill County, Ala. 



The following paper was then lead : 



NOTES ON the SWEET GRASS HILLS OF MONTANA AND THE 

 KOOTENAI MINES OF BRITISH COLUMBIA. 



BY ALBERT R. LEDOUX, M.S., PH.D. 



(Abstract.) 



It would be no evidence of ignorance if, in speaking of the 

 Great Northern Railway, I should be asked, ''Where is it?" 

 for so quietly has the consolidation of the lines which make up 

 this great system been effected that there are even railroad men to- 

 day who would be unable to name tiie principal towns along its 

 route ; and yet its earnings during the month of January just 

 past were $793,638. It is the creation of Mr. James J. Hdl, of 

 St. Paul, who conceived the bold idea of building a new line 

 from the great lakes to the Pacific Ocean on a theory never here- 

 tofore attempted by any transcontinental line — that is, to build 

 where the best grade was obtained, without consideration for 

 local towns or local traffic, so that when completed it will form 

 a link from ocean to ocean which will secure traffic because it 



