TRANSACTIONS OF THE ASSOCIATION. 



Notice of a Model of the Western portion of the Schuyl- 

 kill OR Southern Coal-Field of Pennsylvania, in illus- 

 tration OF AN Address to the Association of American 

 Geologists, on the most appropriate Modes for represent- 

 ing Geological Phenomena: by Richard C. Taylor, of 

 Philadelphia. Read 9th of April, 1841. 



On the 18th of June, 1830, I had the honor of presenting to 

 the Geological Society of London, and of reading a concise de- 

 scription of two models and sections of part of the mineral basin 

 of South Wales, in the vicinity of Pontypool. 



On the present occasion I take the liberty of exliibiting to the 

 Association of American Geologists, at their second annual 

 meeting, a model of the western half of the Schuylkill coal-field, 

 in Pennsylvania. This is, in all probability, the first geological 

 model that has been constructed in the United States ; as was, I 

 believe, that of the Welsh mineral district, the earliest of its kind ; 

 and as such was received in the exhibition of the Society of Arts.* 

 I have felt anxious, I may say ambitious, to introduce the first 

 American geological model to this Association. It seems neces- 

 sary to the occasion to make a few explanatory observ^ations, and 

 I desire especially to address some general remarks to this meet- 

 ing, on the available methods of geological illustration. 



Before proceeding to the descriptive details of the present 

 work, and of the region which it represents, I would advert to the 

 extreme applicability of the science of modelling to the purposes 

 of geological elucidation. 



During a somewhat active life, embracing thirty-six years of 



* The gold Isis medal was awarded to the exhibitor in 1830. 



