Otf SOUTH AFRICAN STRATA. 127 



Van Hise, however, in 1892 J preferred Proterozoic for the Upper 

 sedimentary division, and Archean for the lower crystalline division. 

 His Proterozoic was, therefore, equivalent to the Archseozoic of Dana. 



If priority is to count for anything in this matter, and the name of 

 the pre-Palseozoic division is to end in ozoic (to conform to the other 

 three), then Archseozoic should be adopted for the pre-Cambrian sedi- 

 ments; and this use agrees better with the natural meaning of the term, 

 for these sediments have traces of an archaic life, whereas the older 

 crystalline schists have none. The basic complex below may still be 

 appropriately called Azoic, as they have not yet given any certain signs 

 of life. 



An alternative explanation that might temporarily meet the case for 

 South Africa would be to retain Dana's term Archseozoic for all the pre- 

 Palsezoic rocks, including both the Witwatersrand System and the 

 Swaziland System or basal complex. 



Two members of the Committee recommend the adoption of 

 the term Archean for all the pre-Palseozoic. One (Mr. Molyneux) 

 prefers the term Azoic, and Dr. Molengraaff pre-Palseozoic. Dr. 

 Hatch and Dr. Corstorphine in their work on the Geology of the 

 Transvaal both use the term Archean as exclusive of the Witwaters- 

 rand System ; whereas Dr. Eogers, Professor R. B. Young, Mr. 

 Molyneux, and Dr. Molengraaff think the term Archean should be 

 abandoned from South African geology. Dr. Eogers groups all the 

 pre-Devonian rocks as the pre-Cape rocks, a course which, though safe, 

 is purely provisional. 



II. The Nomenclature op the Upper phe-Devonian Divisions. 

 1. Vaal or Ventersdorp System. 



Above the Witwatersrand System is a series of igneous rocks of the 

 Vaal Eiver, which has been called the Vaal Eiver System by Molen- 

 graaff and the Ventersdorp Sygtem by Hatch and Corstorphine. The 

 votes recorded on this question are five in favour of the name Vaal 

 and five in favour of the name Ventersdorp. Professor Schwarz says 

 the system should be omitted altogether, as it is composed solely of 

 volcanic rocks ; and Dr. Eogers and Mr. Mennell agree with Professor 

 Schwarz. This group of rocks can hardly be called a system in the 

 sense in which that word is defined by the International Congress, 

 namely, one of the primary subdivisions of the Palaeozoic, &c. , such as 

 Silurian or Jurassic. 



Three of the representatives of the Transvaal favour the Ventersdorp 

 System, two of the representatives of Cape Colony favour the Vaal 

 System and one the Ventersdorp System. Mr. Molyneux, from 

 Rhodesia, is in favour of the Ventersdorp System. The votes on this 

 question are so evenly divided that it is hardly likely that any agree- 

 ment will be reached immediately. 



> Bull. U.S. Geol. Surv,, No. 8G, p. 509, 



