Agas*iz.] 322 [November 20, 



ci'UPt, and remove much of the obscurity now atteniling the physical 

 geogra})hy of volcanoes. 



Why should the line of ejection be at right angles with the general 

 train? The longitudinal crack which is marked by a line of volcanic 

 Tents, is simply a fissure in the lowest portion of the earth's crust; if 

 this were not so it would give rise to a crowded, unbroken line of vents 

 which would be in feeble, simultaneous and almost constant action. 

 The result of this fracture on the superior portions of the earth's crust 

 is, however, a series of transverse fissures, nearer to each other where 

 the inferior main fissure is Avidest. The relation these transverse 

 fissures bear to the main line of dislocation is not yet uudersti^od, al- 

 though the fact of their existence has long been recognized. I do not 

 hy any means attempt to exj)lain this; I only wish to point out Mdii'.t 

 has not before been noticed, that in all cases where the direction of 

 the major axis of a crater is known, it is at right anyles to the 

 general trend of the volcanic series to which it belongs. 



Professor Agassiz read a notice just received from Sir 

 Koderick Iinpey Murchison, intended as an appendix to the 

 last edition of his Siltn-ia. 



It stated that certain rocks of Scotland, heretofore claimed to belong 

 to the New Red Sandstone, had been shown to be Triassic — only two 

 tbssils had been found in them and as these were of genera not occur- 

 ring in other rocks it was impossible to speak with certainty of their 

 age. The first was a fish described by Prof. Agassiz in 18v?(], under 

 tlie name of Stagonolepis Rohertsoni, and the other a reptile sidjse- 

 <|aentlj called Telerpeton Elginense by Di . Mantell. Since the dis- 

 covery of the reptile, then considered the oldest known in the world, 

 Prof. Agassiz had refused to believe hi its asserted antiquity, because 

 he believed that asserted facts could not be received when they con- 

 flict with all serial experience. Now by the researches of Huxley, the 

 reptile was proA'cd to be identical with one found in Triassic rocks on 

 the continent of Europe and closely allied to others found in beds in 

 India which lie near the Trias. 



Dr. J. Wyman gave the results of the nieasureuients he had 

 made of some of the human crania, viz. : of Whites, Ilawaiians, 

 Hindoos and North American Indians of different races, with 

 reference to the position of the union of the spinal cord with 

 the brain, as indicated by the position of the o])ening at the 

 base of the skull through wliicli the cord passes. It was 

 asserted by Soemmering that this Avas further back in the 



