January 24, 1896.] 



SCIENCE. 



141 



can region were presented by the speaker. The 

 first of these was across the continent along the 

 line of the Panama Canal and Kailway. This 

 consists of a complicated plexus of marine sedi- 

 mentaries (Eocene and Miocene Tertiaries) igne- 

 ous rocks (basalts, augite porphyrites, augite 

 andesite, trachitic tufa, rhyolitio tufa and other 

 species) and ancient detritial formations, so con- 

 cealed by dense vegetation and soil (the sub- 

 aereal decay, which reaches to 100 feet or more 

 in depth,) and confused by structural disturb- 

 ance that its history is most difficult to inter- 

 pret. Another section was given across the Re- 

 public of Costa Kica from Punta Arenas to Port 

 Limon, showing the contrasts between the high 

 plateau, of recent volcanic activity and the older 

 phenomena of Panama. The third section was 

 from the Caribbean coast to the high mountain 

 summits in southern Costa Rica. It is impos- 

 sible to give here the great amount of detail 

 which these sections throw upon the petrog- 

 raphy, paleontology, orogeny and geomorphol- 

 ogy of this exceedingly interesting region, and 

 present for the first time any comprehensive 

 detail by which its history may be discussed. 



The discussion of the time of the union of 

 the continents was intentionally deferred to the 

 final report, owing to the fact that it is so in- 

 volved in hypothetical discussion by naturalists 

 that the subject requires separate treatment. 

 "The Isthmus, " said the speaker, "entirely aside 

 from this question of the union of the oceans, 

 is of the greatest geologic iiiterest." 



For the information of the Department of the 

 Interior, and under special instructions from 

 the Secretary, Mr. George H. Eldridge has just 

 made an investigation of the principal mineral 

 resources of the Uneompabgre Indian Reserva- 

 tion in northeastern Utah, and has submitted 

 his report through the director of the Geological 

 Survey. Mr. Eldridge contributed an interest- 

 ing account of Uintaite, or Gilsonite, the prin- 

 cipal resource found and investigated. His 

 paper will be printed in this journal. 



Prof. Chas. D. Walcott entertained the So- 

 ciety briefly with the presentation and informal 

 discussion of two series of lantern-slide views. 

 The larger series represented some recent and 

 ancient markings on the sea shore, and showed 

 the results of experiments and observations 



made by him quite recently on the beach at 

 Noyes Point, Rhode Island, and on the Florida 

 coast. The observations, while of interest in 

 other respects, were presented more particu- 

 larly as illustrating some supposed errors in the 

 interpretation that observers have placed upon 

 certain sea-shore markings. He illustrated 

 among other things an excellent cast of a me- 

 dusa, or .jelly fish, one of several of which casts 

 he had succeeded in making in plaster of paris 

 while on the Florida coast. The other slides 

 represented the mode of formation of sand 

 dunes, as obs'erved on the Rhode Island coast. 



W. F. MOESELL. 



THE ANTHROPOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF 

 WASHINGTON. 



The 242 meeting of the Society was held on 

 January 7. A paper on 'A Vigil of the Gods,' 

 was read by Dr. Washington Matthews, U. S. A., 

 of which the following is an abstract: 



The rites occur on the fourth night of a great 

 nine-days' ceremony of the Navahoes called 

 the night-chant, which is based on a myth, and 

 many of the acts are illustrative of the mythic 

 events. 



The night from about 9 P. M. until daylight 

 is devoted to a vigil analogous to that of the 

 medieval knight over his armor. Men and 

 gods, or the properties which represent the 

 gods, alike participate in the vigil and there is 

 a feast in common, or love-feast, closely resemb- 

 ling certain ceremonial acts observed among our 

 own people to-day. 



Although thei-e are interesting rites, the night 

 is spent mostly in song, and many long prayers 

 are repeated. The songs and prayers are care- 

 fully formulated ritualistic compositions. 



The masks of twenty-one gods and goddesses 

 of the Navaho pantheon, along with other sa- 

 cred properties, are spread on a buffalo robe in 

 an established order and frequent sacrifices of 

 pollen are made to them. 



Early in the night dishes of wild herbs and 

 seeds, such as formed the food of the Navahoes 

 in the old days, before they became farmers 

 and herders, are brought in, sung over and 

 eaten by those who choose to partake. 



The love-feast comes later. This consists of 

 cold cornmeal gruel, or thin mush, prepared in 



