Decembeb 31, 1909] 



SCIENCE 



975 



the most limited way at once encounters the 

 question of names. In the pioneer stage of geol- 

 ogy a name is required for each new unit de- 

 scribed, since exact correlation with existing 

 names is usually impossible. This is less true of 

 the second stage of geologic work, where informa- 

 tion is accumulated and names multiplied. Amer- 

 ican geology has now advanced to the third or 

 selective stage, where many correlations are cer- 

 tain, and preliminary names are gradually passing. 



The most oppressive fact to the student is the 

 flood of names. About 3,500 have now been used 

 in the United States and Alaska, and to them 

 nearly 100 new ones are added yearly. The labor 

 of digesting these seems almost prohibitive to 

 stratigraphie progress. A single name is applied 

 to two or three different units, and for the same 

 unit there may be five or six different names. 



The complexity is increased by poor definitions 

 and shifting limits of the units. Limited at- 

 tempts have been made to reduce and correlate. 

 Individuals and state surveys have done their part 

 locally, the U. S. Geological Survey has issued 

 correlation bulletins covering the United States, 

 and a general committee representing the chief 

 American organizations has recently been formed 

 to make recommendations on names. 



The chief attack on the chaos is now being 

 made by the committee on geologic names in the 

 United States Survey. All names used in papers 

 issued by the sun-ey or its members are considered 

 by this committee. Exact definitions and type 

 localities are required for new names, and the 

 use and correlation of old names considered. Com- 

 parative harmony is thus secured, the number of 

 new names is kept down, poor uses are rejected 

 and useless names abandoned. The committee 

 takes acount of priority, clearness of definition 

 and locality, and the usage of each term, no one 

 feature being supreme. Various catalogues of the 

 committee cover its own action, tlie full list of 

 names in use, the names in each system, in each 

 state, and the various columnar sections published 

 in each state. All of these are complete to date 

 except the last, on which work is steadily proceed- 

 ing, and are available for general consultation. 

 These are leading to a comprehensive correlation 

 of the formations of the United States. 



The underlying motive of all this work is utility. 

 A name is given to a stratigraphie unit for con- 

 venience in referring to it. If the definition is 

 exact and the use consistent, the idea conveyed 

 will be precise. If it is not precise it is not scien- 

 tific, and should be avoided as obscuring the 



mental image. If a geologic name for a unit could 

 be extended over the .whole country, the case would 

 be ideal and the image would be called up with 

 the least effort. Many formations and names can 

 be carried far and wide, and in that degree will 

 the alphabet of geology be simplified. To sift and 

 tie together the loose mass of names will cause 

 hardships, but they will be lost sight of in the 

 enormous gain in ease and clearness. Tlie present 

 incubus of names is something to be shaken off at 

 the earliest moment. 



At the close of Mr. Keith's address the seven- 

 teenth annu -noting of the societj' was held for 

 the purpos' "'"ers, and the following 



officers we' ensuing year : 



Preside: all. 



Tice-pr Stanton and David 



White. 



Secre- i). Matthes and Edson S. 



Bastin. 



Tree jcr. 



Me: of the Council — Geo. H. 



Ashl' orn, Geo. W. Stose, A. K. 



Schi nhall. 



Philip S. Smith, 



Secretary 



CAL SOCIETY OF WASHIXGTON 



ting was held in the West Hall 

 .ington University on November 

 dent Wead in the cliair. Two 

 id: 



uise of the " Carnegie " and her 

 Dr. L. A. Baueb, of the Carnegie 

 of Washington. 



The l'i<^^. ir Gas Engine on the "Carnegie": 



Mr. Caul D. Smith, of the U. S. Geological 



Survey. 



A detailed description was given of the non- 

 magnetic producer gas engine plant installed on 

 the Carnegie, and the principles involved in its 

 construction and operation were illustrated by 

 lantern slides. The plant consists essentially of 

 a gas producer and a producer gas engine with 

 the necessary accessories. 



This unique engine, which is constructed almost 

 exclusively of non-magnetic materials, is a new 

 departure in marine motive power, both as regards 

 the materials used in its construction and in its 

 application to a sea-going vessel. 



For an account of the success already achieved 

 by this plant and its remarkable economy of fuel 

 consumption, see the abstract of the paper by 



