M&Y 20, 1904.] 



SCIENCE. 



787 



have been identified with European forms. 

 One of the genera is reported only from the 

 Lias and the other ranges from the Lias to 

 the Trias and Tertiary. Besides these fu- 

 coids, the worm tubes referred to above and 

 a new genus of lamellibranch are used in de- 

 termining geological age ; as stated in the text, 

 the evidence furnished by the worm-burrows 

 and the molluscan shell is purely inferential, 

 but so far as it goes corroborates that of the 

 fossil algae as to a Liassic age. To one who 

 is not an expert in paleontology, the argu- 

 ments presented both as to correlating the 

 widely separated terranes now referred to the 

 Takiitat formation, and the assignment of 

 that formation to a subdivision of the Juras- 

 sic, seem based on meager data. Among the 

 results presented by the geologist is the evi- 

 dence of Eocene strata on the Alaskan penin- 

 sula. The fossils collected at various locali- 

 ties form the basis for describing thirty-eight 

 new species, twelve Jurassic and the remainder 

 Tertiary. The Jurassic fossils include seven 

 new genera. The descriptions of new species 

 are accompanied by twenty-five admirable 

 plates. 



In -the chapter on general geology, page 12, 

 in describing the basaltic region about Sho- 

 shone Falls, Idaho, mention is made of ' great 

 pustules which had been inflated on the sur- 

 face of the liquid mass and then congealed 

 and collapsed.' This explanation of the origin 

 of the numerous ' pressure ridges ' of the 

 Snake River lava plains is so widely at vari- 

 ance with the conclusion reached by myself 

 after gaining considerable familiarity with 

 them, that it seems advisable to refer the 

 reader to a more extended account of their 

 characteristic, namely, U. S. Geological Sur- 

 vey, Bulletin No. 199, 1902, pp. 95-96. 



The advantages presented by Alaska for 

 glacial studies has already been referred to, 

 and the reports of the geologists of the Harri- 

 man expedition, if we had no other evidence, 

 suffice to show that the same land has an in- 

 structive geological history. Although the 

 reports under review contain a few admirable 

 pictures of volcanoes, only one, Bogoslof, 

 seems to have been visited. As is well known, 

 however, the volcanoes of Alaska present a 



subject for study fully as extensive and equal- 

 ly instructive as its glaciers, but one concern- 

 ing which but little definite information is 

 available. Another region of special interest 

 which invites investigation and gives promise 

 of valuable return is the vast tunda in the far 

 north. Concerning one of these great groups 

 of earth features, namely, the glaciers, the 

 Harriman expedition has done good service 

 not only in recorded results, but in indicating 

 the richness of the field that remains to be 

 explored. The others, as is well known, are 

 fully as important and equally inviting. The 

 suggestion I wish to convey by these state- 

 ments is that there are room and material for 

 study in Alaska for many more expeditions. 

 The gTeat and lasting results recorded in the 

 reports of the Harriman expedition should 

 encourage other broad-minded citizens to im- 

 mortalize their names in a similar manner. 

 Israel C. Eussell. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES. 



THE MICHIGAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. " 



The tenth annual meeting of the Michigan 

 Academy of Science was held at Ann Arbor, 

 on March 31 and April 1 and 2. The new 

 medical building, the university museum and 

 the laboratories of botany and zoology of the 

 University of Michigan were placed at the 

 disposal of the academy for its sessions. The 

 officers for this meeting were: 



Pres-ident — Professor F. C. Newoombe, Ann 

 Arbor. 



Vice-Presidents — Section of Agriculture, Pro- 

 fessor W. J. Beal, Agricultural College; Section of 

 Botany, Mr. B. O. Longyear, Agricultural College; 

 Section of Geography and Geology, Professor I. 

 C. Russell, Ann Arbor; Section of Sanitary Sci- 

 ence, Professor C. E. Marshall, Agricultural Col- 

 lege; Section of Zoology, Professor R. H. Pettit, 

 Agricultural College. 



Treasurer — Professor H. L. Clarke Olivet. 



Librarian — Dr. G. P. Burns, Ann Arbor. 



Secretary — ^Dr. Jas. B. Pollock, Ann Arbor. 



The meeting opened Thursday, March 31, 

 with a general business session at 2 p.m. 

 Following the adjournment of this general 

 session the various sections met for the read- 

 ing of papers. Thursday evening no session 



