Nov. 2 2, 1877] 



NATURE 



65 



INTERNATIONAL GEOLOGICAL CONGRESS 



AT the late meeting of the American Association for 

 the Advancement of Science at Nashville, Tenn., Dr. 

 T. Sterry Hunt presented a report on the above subject, 

 of which at the time we gave a brief note. The following 

 extracts, which have been sent us, will no doubt be more 

 satisfactory to geologists : — 



" The committee to arrange for an International Geo- 

 logical Exhibition and Congress, to be held in Paris in 

 1878, was appointed by this Association at Buffalo in 

 August, 1876, and consisted of Messrs. W. B. Rogers, 

 James Hall, J. W. Dawson, J. S. Newberry, T. Sterry 

 Hunt, R. Pumpelly, and C. H. Hitchcock', together with 

 T. H. Huxley for England, O. Torrel for Sweden, and 

 E. H. von Baumhauer for Holland. At a meeting of the 

 committee at Buffalo on August 25, 1876, James Hall was 

 chosen chairman, and T. Sterry Hunt secretary. It was 

 then agreed to prepare a circular setting forth the plan of 

 an International Geological Exhibition, which should 

 form a part of the general exhibition to be held at Paris 

 in 1878, and indicating a scheme for the organisation of 

 the geological collections to be sent thereto by the nations 

 taking a part in that exhibition, and moreover, proposing 

 an International Geological Congress to be held at Paris. 



" The circular in accordance with this plan was duly 

 prepared, and printed in English, French, and German, 

 and before the end of the year had been sent by the 

 secretary to the principal scientific societies and academies, 

 as well as to the workers in geology throughout the 

 world. The response to this invitation has been most 

 gratifying. The Geological Society of France has for- 

 mally recognised the great importance of the objects 

 proposed, and promised its hearty co-operation, while 

 private letters from its president to the secretary of the 

 committee, and from Prof. Hubert to Prof. Hall, give 

 cordial assurances of the same kind. Spanish and Italian 

 geologists have translated and published the circular in 

 their respective languages, and have communicated to 

 the secretary their hearty approval of the plan. Prof". 

 Capellini has, in this connection, published an interesting 

 correspondence, calling attention to the fact that in 1874 

 he had laid the project of a similar International Geolo- 

 gical Congress, to be held in Italy, before tfie Italian 

 Minister of Agriculture, Industry, and Commerce. 



" The Geological Society of London and the Geological 

 Survey of Great Britain have also formally signified their 

 approval of our objects, and the co-operation of Norway, 

 Sweden, Russia, and Austro-Hungary, is promised. It 

 is to be regretted that Germany has declined to take a 

 part in the International Exhibition of 1878, but we trust 

 that this will not prevent her geologists from joining in 

 the proposed Congress. The director of the Geological 

 Survey of Japan promises to aid in our work, and we 

 have the same assurance from Brazil, where the circular 

 has been translated into Portuguese. Chili and Mexico 

 have also responded, and promise an ample representa- 

 tion of their geology at Paris next year ; while Canada, 

 both through her Geological Survey and in the person of 

 Dr. Dawson, will probably be represented there. 



"The Government of the United States has as yet 

 failed to accept the invitation of France to take a part in 

 the Exhibition of 1878, so that American geologists are not 

 certain that they will be able to participate in the Interna- 

 tional Geological Exhibition of 1878. We are, however, 

 assured that the Government is very desirous to have our 

 country duly represented at Paris j and it is to be hoped 

 that at the approaching extra session of the United States 

 Congress, measures will be taken for accepting the French 

 invitation, and appointing a commission, so that our 

 people may secure a representation in Paris. I am 

 assured, on all sides, that our geologists desire to con- 

 tribute largely to the International Geological Exhibition, 

 and even at this late day it will be possible to do much. 



In any event it is probable that several members of our 

 committee will be present at the proposed Geological 

 Congress. The precise date of this has not yet been 

 fixed, though your secretary is now in correspondence 

 with the Secretary of the Geological Society of France 

 upon this point, and believes that with the co-operation 

 of that body a time convenient to all -will be agreed 

 upon. 



" It is recommended by the Standing Committee of the 

 Association that, in addition to the names of Prof, J. P. 

 Lesley, of Philadelphia, and Prof. A. C. Ramsay, director 

 of the Geological Survey of Great Britain, already added 

 to the International Committee, the presidents for the 

 time being of the Geological Societies of France, Lon- 

 don, Edinburgh, and Dublin, of Berhn, of Belgium, 

 Italy, Spain, Portugal, and the Imperial Geological In- 

 stitute of Vienna, be invited to form part of our Com- 

 mission. T. Sterry Hunt 



" Secretary of the International Committee." 



Shortly after the presentation of the above report, the 

 secretary received official notice that the Geological 

 Society of France had, in co-operation with the above 

 plan, appointed at Paris a local committee of organisa- 

 tion for the proposed Congress, constituted as follows : — 

 Hcbert, President ; Tournouer and Albert Gaudry, Vice- 

 Presidents ; Bioche, Treasurer ; Jannetaz, Secretary- 

 General ; Delaire, Sauvage, Brocchi, and Velain, Secre- 

 taries ; with the following : Belgrand Bureau, de Chan- 

 courtois, G, Cotteau, Damour, Daubrde, Delafosse, 

 Delesse, Descloizeaux, Desnoyers, Fougud, V, Gervais, 

 Gruner, De Lapparent, Mallard, Milne- Edwards, Pellat, 

 Marquis de Roys and L, Vaillant, Members of the 

 Committee, 



A circular issued by this committee bearing date July 

 31, invites all those interested in geological, mineralogical, 

 and palajontological studies to take part in the approach- 

 ing congress, and to subscribe the sum of twelve francs 

 each, which will give a card of admission to the Congress, 

 and right to all the publications thereof. All those who 

 intend to be present are at the same time invited to send, 

 as soon as possible, a list of the questions which seem to 

 them worthy of general discussion, as well as of the 

 communications which they propose to make touching 

 these questions. They are also invited to indicate the 

 date which appears to them most convenient for the 

 meeting of the Congress, 



As regards an International Geological Exhibition, the 

 Paris Committee of Organisation state that the difhculty 

 of finding a suitable locality seems to them an obstacle in 

 the way of realising this part of the programme. Ttiey 

 hope, however, that there will be many special collections 

 sent, and beg the exhibitors of such to give the committee 

 due notice of these, in order that a special catalogue of 

 them may be prepared. 



The secretary of the International Committee desires, 

 in this connection, to call attention to the fact that his 

 circular did not contemplate the holding of an Inter- 

 national Geological Exhibition apart from the universal 

 exhibition, but, in the language of that circular, the 

 making as complete as possible the geolot^ical department 

 of the universal exhibition. It is certam that, as at all 

 previous similar exhibitions, the different nations will 

 contribute more or less of geological material, and it was 

 conceived that such collections, extended and syste- 

 matised in accordance with the plan set forth in the 

 circular, would, while forming a part of the universil 

 exhibition, without farther cost meet all the requirements 

 of an International Geological Exhibition, To the ac- 

 complishment of this end it will only be necessary for 

 the exhibitors of all nations to send a list of their geolo- 

 gical contributions to the Local Committee of Organisation 

 at Paris, 



All correspondeace relating to the Congress should be 



