956 • The American Naturalist. [November, 



burg the same morning (August 28th) by steamer, reporting a 

 most interesting week's trip, during which they had enjoyed 

 quite as lavish hospitality as had been the lot of those in the 

 Urals. They were under the guidance of Sederholm, and saw 

 much glacial geology in addition to the old crystalline forma- 

 tions of western and southern Finland. 



The formal opening of the Congress took place the afternoon 

 of Sunday, August 29th, in the hall of the Zoological Institute 

 of the University, which was well filled by a large and brilliant 

 audience. The Honorary President of the Congress, the Grand 

 Duke Constantino Constantinovitch, presided and opened the 

 session with an address of welcome. It was followed by sim- 

 ilar addresses by the Princess of Oldenburg, President of the 

 Imperial Society of Mineralogy, and by the Minister of Agri- 

 culture, Ermoloft'. Renevier, President of the preceding Con- 

 gress, announced the officers named by the council, the Amer- 

 ican Vice-Presidents being Marsh, Emerson, Emmons and 

 Frazer. The address of the President, Karpinsky, was chiefly 

 occupied with a brief statement of the questions to come before 

 the Congress, and after a resume by TschernyschefF, Secretary- 

 General, of the work of the Committee of Organization in ar- 

 ranging for the Congress and excursions, the session came to a 

 close. 



Of the eight hundred and fifty names which appeared in 

 the official list of the members of the Congress, upwards of 

 six hundred were recorded as in attendance. Despite this 

 very large membership the actual number at the meetings was 

 very small, rarely more than one hundred being present. 

 But the adjoining hall where numerous exhibits were arranged 

 was always occupied by a throng of members, showing very 

 clearly that here as generally in such meetings, it is the per- 

 sonal intercourse that is desired by the members rather than 

 the formal discussions. 



The subjects which it was desired to have specially brought 

 before this Congress, as announced in an early circular of tlie 

 Committee of Organization and as stated in the President's 

 address, were as follows : 



1. Shall stratigraj)hic nomenclature be based upon an arti- 

 ficial or upon a natural classification. 



