ReiJorts and Proceedings — Geological Society of London. 329 



indefatigable workers, is of exceptional interest. It is indeed a 

 wonderful record. That a geological map of the United States of 

 America (the area referred to at that time being east of the Mississippi) 

 should have been published in 1809, is in itself a remarkable fact, 

 and one of which Americans may justly be proud. That map, 

 showing the areas of Primitive, Transition, Secondary, and Alluvial 

 Kocks, and also tracts of Kock Salt, was the product of William 

 Maclure. It was the earliest attempt at a geological map of America, 

 and was published six years prior to William Smith's map of England 

 and Wales : of course, a far more elaborate work. Geological 

 descriptions, mostly of a mineralogical nature, had been published in 

 America as early as 1785. The author terms the first period of 

 American geology the Maclurean era (1785-1819), the second, the 

 Eatonian era (1820-29), being marked by the labours of Amos Eaton; 

 and onwards the periods are divided according to the State Surveys, 

 the first decade of which dates from 1830 to 1839, and here again the 

 United States was in advance of Britain. From beginning to end 

 the work is full of information on the history and progress of 

 geology; and it is profusely illustrated with portraits of the workers, 

 from those of Benjamin Silliman and William Maclure to E. Billings 

 and 0. D. Walcott. Special efforts were made to obtain portraits 

 representing the individual at the period of his career under 

 discussion. In an appendix there are tables showing the gradual 

 development of the geological column, as given in the principal 

 textbooks; and there are also brief biographical sketches of the 

 -loading workers in American geology. 



i?,:E3:pOK,TS j^isTiD I=I^OGE;E;I^Il^^C3-s. 



Geological Society op London. 



I. — May 9th, 1906. — Aubrey Strahan, M.A., F.R.S., Vice- 

 President, in the Chair. 



The Chairman read, on behalf of the Council, a letter of con- 

 dolence addressed by the Foreign Secretary to the Swiss Geological 

 Society on the loss of Professor Eugene Benevier, For. Memb. G.S., 

 whose death was the result of an accident, which took place only 

 a few days before the proposed celebration of his professorial jubilee 

 at Lausanne University. 



The Chairman announced that the Council had resolved to award 

 the proceeds of the Daniel Pidgeon Fund for 1906 to Miss Helen 

 Drew, Newnham College, Cambridge, who proposes to examine the 

 relationship of the Caradoc and Llandovery rocks in South Wales, 

 between the Llandeilo and Fishguard districts. 



The following communications were read : — 



1. " The Eruption of Vesuvius in April, 1906." By Professor 

 •Giuseppe de Lorenzo, For. Corr. G.S. 



