July 1, 1910] 



SCIENCE 



31 



sands an appearance of beds and of stratification 

 planes, caused by secondary agencies acting at or 

 near the surface. Tlie appearance was described 

 and illustrated and probable causes discussed. 

 The Age of the Rancho La Brea Beds near Los 



Angeles: John C. Mekeiam, Berkeley, Cal. 

 Notes on the Foundation, of the Geological So- 

 ciety: C. H. Hitchcock, Honolulu, T. H. 

 A history of the efforts made to form a Geo- 

 logical Society during the years just preceding 

 the establishment of the Geological Society of 

 America. 



Recent Faulting in Oioens Valley, Cal.: Willakd 



D. JoHKSON, Berkeley, Cal. 



The topography of Owens Valley is strikingly 



immature. It is complex with arrested works of 



gradation. Deformation has varied as to the type, 



and the magnitude of its results, the seat of its 



action, and the periods of its recurrence and 



gradation, continually modeling toward symmetry 



again, has made record of the diastrophic events. 



The Paragenesis of Minerals: AuSTix F. Rogers, 



Palo Alto, Cal. 



Emphasizes the interest and importance of the 

 occurrence, association and origin of minerals. 

 Discusses the use of the term paragenesis. A 

 university course along this line, in which para- 

 genetic varieties of minerals are listed, correlates 

 the facts of mineralogy and petrography and 

 serves as an introduction to the study of ore- 

 deposits. 



Ruby Corundum- from San Bernardino County, 

 Cal.: George D. Louderback, Berkeley, Cal., 

 and W. C. Blasdale, Berkeley, Cal. 

 A hitherto undescribed locality recently called 

 to the writer's attention shows the occurrence of 

 corundum as an igneous secretion followed by a 

 history of partial metamorphism, impregnation, 

 brecciation and weathering of the enclosing rocks. 

 The mineral is in part automorphic with very 

 simple forms. The rock and its associations were 

 described, and analyses presented. 

 Serpentines of the Central Coast Ranges^ of Cali- 

 fornia: H. E. Keamm, Stanford University, 

 Cal. 



The paper presents a brief history of the work 

 done on the California serpentines. In particular 

 it is a mineralogical and petrological description 

 of serpentines and associated minerals in the 

 central coast ranges of the state. The derivation 

 of the serpentines from eruptive rocks was shown. 

 Some Topographical Features of the Western Side 

 of the Colorado Desert: H. W. Fairbanks, 

 Berkeley, Cal. 



The San Jacinto Mountains send out a long 

 spur southeastwardly into the western part of the 

 Colorado Desert. This spur is known as the 

 Santa Rosa Mountain. The accumulations of the 

 desert appear to have been built up against the 

 foot of this range as though it had undergone 

 subsidence. 



An arm of the Colorado Desert reaches in be- 

 hind the Santa Rosa Mountain and this is known 

 as the Borego Desert. At the western end of this 

 desert close under the steep scarp of the Peninsula 

 range, there is an alkali sink evidently due to 

 subsidence of the desert. 



At the end of the Santa Rosa Mountain where 

 the Borego Desert opens out into the main Colo- 

 rado Desert there are extensive beds of late Ter- 

 tiary age. These have been folded slightly and 

 subsequently planed oflF. Then an uplift took 

 place and another partial planation occurred. 

 Finally the beds were dissected and at their lower 

 exposed margin eaten into by the waves of the 

 ancient Salton Sea. 



There followed a general discussion of the con- 

 dition of seismologieal investigations in America 

 and of the proposed establishment by Congress of 

 a national bureau of seismology, and at the con- 

 clusion of the discussion the following resolutions 

 were adopted. 



The Cordilleran Section of the Geological So- 

 ciety of America favors strongly the establishment 

 of a national bureau of seismology organized 

 under the Smithsonian Institution with power 

 (a) to collect seismologieal data, (6) to establish 

 observing stations, (c) to study and investigate 

 special earthquake regions within the national 

 domain, {d) to cooperate with other scientific' 

 bodies and organizations and individual scientists 

 in forwarding the development and dissemination 

 of seismologieal knowledge. 



It regards it of great importance that other 

 scientific bureaus of the national government, in 

 particular the U. S. Weather Bureau and the 

 U. S. Geological Survey, be authorized by law to 

 cooperate with this bureau in forwarding the 

 purposes for which it may be established. 



Resolved, that copies of this resolution be trans- 

 mitted to the President, president of the Senate,, 

 speaker of the House of Representatives and 

 members of the congressional committees now 

 considering this matter. 



Geo. D. Louderback, 

 Secretary, Cordilleran Section 



