SECTION D 

 PETROLOGY AND MINERALOGY 



(Hall 9, September 22, 3 p. m.) 



CHAIRMAN: DR. OLIVER C. FARRINGTON, Field Columbian Museum, Chicago. 

 SPEAKER: PROFESSOR F. ZIRKEL, University of Leipsic. 



THE Chairman of the Section of Petrology and Mineralogy was Dr. 

 Oliver C. Farrington, of the Field Columbian Museum, who opened 

 the Section with the following remarks : 



" This Section has met in the interests of the sciences of petrology 

 and mineralogy. Although mineralogy is the older of these two sci- 

 ences, it is quite likely that petrology will claim more of our attention 

 to-day since its problems are at present the more pressing and per- 

 plexing. This is in accord, as well, with the usual human experience 

 that a younger child requires more attention than an older one. 



" In accordance with the uniform programme of the Sections of this 

 Congress it is sought to have presented here one paper dealing with 

 the relations of petrology and mineralogy to other sciences and one 

 treating of the present problems of these sciences. We regret very 

 much that Professor Brogger, who, it was hoped, would prepare the 

 paper upon 'Present Problems/ finds it impossible to undertake the 

 work, and hence we are deprived of the pleasure of seeing and hearing 

 from him. 



" The 'Relations of Petrology and Mineralogy to other Sciences' 

 will be treated by Professor Zirkel of the University of Leipsic. It 

 is with especial pleasure that we greet him, since we remember that 

 it was the elder Zirkel who was in a sense the pioneer of petrology 

 in America. It was no longer ago than 1876 that the Director of 

 the Survey of the fortieth parallel of the United States, Clarence 

 King, desiring a description of the rocks obtained by the Survey, 

 found, as he states in his report, that 'the important study of pe- 

 trology had suffered complete neglect in America,' and hence he felt 

 obliged to 'turn to Europe for aid.' It was this description of the 

 rocks of the fortieth parallel by Zirkel which was in a sense the pioneer 

 publication in petrography in America, and it still remains a classic. 

 We of America may take a just pride in the fact that it would no 



