May 14, 1920] 



SCIENCE 



495 



a belt a few miles wide near the Mississippi River. 

 In this succession of strata all of the series, or 

 larger divisions, of the Devonian system recognized 

 in the New York section are present, as shown in 

 the following table of formations: 



Devonian formations present in southwest Illi- 

 nois: 



Upper Devonian. 

 Chautauquan series. 



Mountain Glen shale, 45 feet. 

 Senecan series. 



Alto formation, 90 feet. 

 Middle Devonian. 

 Eriau series. 



Lingle limestone, 90 feet. 

 Misenheimer shale, 35 feet. 

 Ulsterian series. 



Grand Tower limestone, 125 feet. 

 Dutch Creek sandstone, 30 feet. 

 Clear Creek chert, 300 feet. 

 Lower Devonian. 

 Oriskanian series. 



Eocks of this age are not known to occur in 

 the state, but they are present farther north- 

 west in Missouri; and farther southeast, in 

 western Tennessee. Remnants are probably 

 present in Illinois, but concealed beneath 

 younger strata. 

 Helderbergian series. 



Backibone limestone, 65 feet. 

 Bailey limestone, 100 feet. 



ROLLIN T. Chamberlin. 



Secretary 

 (To he continued) 



THE AMERICAN GEOPHYSICAL UNION 



The first annual meeting of the American Geo- 

 physical Union was held in the forenoon of April 

 23, 1920, at the offices of the National Research 

 Council in Washington!. At this meeting the per- 

 manent organization of this body was completed, 

 amendments to ita statutes were adopted, by-laws 

 were enacted, officers of the Union were elected and 

 the elections of officers of the sections conducted 

 by mail ballot were ratified. 



Reports were submitted by the American officers 

 of the sections of the International Geodetic and 

 Geophysical Union describing the progress made 

 in the organization of these international sections. 

 A report was submitted from the acting execu- 

 tive committee covering the work of preparation 

 for the annual meeting. 



A brief exposition was given of the status and 

 functions of the American Geophysical Union, on 

 the one hand, in relation to the parent bodies, the 

 International Research CouncU, the National Re- 

 search Council and the Intermational Geodetic and 



Geophysical Union, and on the other, in relation to 

 the branches of science embraced under the term 

 "geophysics" and specifically included in the sec- 

 tions of the union. 



For each of the sections addresses were made by 

 the chairman, setting forth in outline various 

 problems of interest to the sections. These ad- 

 dresses constituted brief surveys of the research 

 needs of the various branches of geophysics. 

 They will be prepared for publication and issued 

 at a later date. 



Officers were elected to serve from July 1, 1920, 

 as follows: AmericaJi Geophysical Union: Chair- 

 man, Wm. Bowie for two years; Vice-chairman, 

 L. A. Bauer, for two years; Secretary, H. O. 

 Wood, for three years; Section (a), Geodesy; 

 Chairman, Wm. Bowie, for two yeaxs; Vice-chair- 

 man, J. P. Hayford, for two years; Secretary, H 

 O. Wood, for three years; Section (6), Seismology; 

 Chairman, H. F. Reid, for two years; Vice-chair- 

 man, J. 0. Branner, for .two years; Secretary, H. 

 O. Wood, for three years; Section (c), Meteorol- 

 ogy, Chairman, C. F. Marvin, for two years; Vice- 

 chairman, W. J. Humphreys, for two years; Secre- 

 ta/ry, A. J. Henry, for three years; Section (d), 

 Terrestrial Magnetism and Electricity, Chairman, 

 L. A. Bauer, for two years; Vice-chairman, W. F. 

 G. Swann, for two years; Secretary, J. A. Fleming, 

 for three years; Section (e), Physical Oceanog- 

 raphy; Chairman, G. W. Littlehales, for two 

 years; Vice-chairman, tie vote, no election; Secre- 

 tary, J. T. Watkins, for three years; Section (/) 

 Voloanology; Chairman, H. W. Washington, for 

 two years; Vice-chairman, R. A. Daly, for two 

 years; Secretary, H. O. Wood, for three years. 

 Hakrt O. Wood, 



Secretary 



THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF 

 SCIENCES 



The program of the scientific sessions of the an- 

 nual meeting, held in Washington on April 26 and 

 27, was as follows: 



MONDAY, APRIL 26 



Conservation of natural resources as a proper 

 function of the National Academy: John M. 

 Clarke. 



On the rate of growth of the population of the 

 United States since 1790 and its mathematical ex- 

 pression: Raymond Peael. 



Growth and development as determined by en- 

 vironmental influences: Feanz Boas. 



