‘AUGUST 20, 1897. ] 
tronomy, E. E. Barnard, University of 
Chicago; Physics, Frank P. Whitman, 
Adelbert College, Cleveland; Chemistry, 
Edgar F. Smith, University of Pennsyl- 
vania; Mechanical Science and Engineer- 
ing, M. E. Cooley, University of Michigan ; 
Geology and Geography, H. L. Fairchild, 
Rochester University ; Zoology, A. S. Pack- 
ard, Brown University, Providence, R. I.; 
Botany, W. F. Farlow, Harvard University; 
Anthropology, J. McKeen Cattell, Colum- 
bia University; Economic Science and Sta- 
tistics, Archibald Blue, Director of Bureau 
of Mines, Toronto, Canada. 
Secretaries of the Sections—Mathematics 
and Astronomy, Alexander Ziwet, Univer- 
sity of Michigan; Physics, H. B. Ross, Wes- 
leyan University ; Chemistry, Charles Bas- 
keryville, University of North Carolina ; 
Mechanical Science and Engineering, Wm. 
S. Aldrich, University of West Virginia; 
Geology and Geography, Warren Upham, 
St. Paul, Minn; Zoology, C. W. Stiles, De- 
partmentof Agriculture, Washington, D. C.; 
Botany, Erwin F. Smith, Department of 
Agriculture, Washington, D. C.; Anthropol- 
ogy, M. H. Saville, American Museum of 
Natural History, New York City; Economic 
Science and Statistics, Marcus Benjamin, 
U.S. National Museum, Washington, D.C. 
On Friday evening there was a general 
session at which the usual complimentary 
resolutions were passed, after which the 
46th meeting of the Association was de- 
clared adjourned. As has been said, this 
was an unusually good meeting. The scien- 
tific papers were above the average, and 
the sections were well attended by citizens 
of Detroit as well as by members. A num- 
ber of the distinguished foreign guests gave 
papers and took part in the discussions. 
During the Association week meetings 
were held by the American Chemistry So- 
ciety, the Society for the Promotion of 
Agricultural Science, the Society of Hco- 
nomic EHntomologists and the Michigan 
SCIENCE. 
285 
Academy of Sciences. Some of these meet- 
ings were held jointly with sections of the 
American Association. It is believed that 
by offering proper courtesies to the affiliated 
societies more of these joint meetings can be 
held, to the great advantage of the Associa- 
tion and of the societies themselves. 
Asapy HALL, JR., 
General Secretary. 
CURRENT NOTES ON PHYSIOGRAPHY. 
THE ATHABASCA REGION. 
TYRRELL’s report on the country between 
Athabasca lake and Churchill river (Geol. 
Surv. Canada, Ann. Rep., VIII., for 1895— 
1897) divides the region into Archean and 
Cambrian areas. The first is occupied by 
low rocky hills and ridges from fifty to a 
hundred and fifty feet in local relief, sep- 
arated by drift-covered depressions, wooded 
or interrupted by small irregular lakes. 
The second is a monotonous district of 
horizontal sandstones, forming a sterile 
plain, thinly wooded, with few lakes. The 
absence of deep valleys and the occurrence 
of lakes and rapids shows that the drainage 
is very new. It is suggested that Atha- 
baska lake occupies a pre-glacial valley, ex- 
eavated along the northern boundary of the 
sandstone area, when the land thereabouts 
stood higher or sloped more to the west. 
Till is scanty on the Archean area, but 
more plentiful on the sandstone plain. 
Rugged moraines are found further south- 
west, like Duck and Riding mountains, in 
Manitoba. The most interesting drift hills 
of the region are steep, narrow ridges, half 
a mile or more in length, averaging 120 feet 
in height, standing parallel to the line of 
glacial motion and rounding down gently 
at both ends. Unlike drumlins, they con- 
sist of unassorted rock flour mixed with 
boulders, and they all lie on the floors of 
large post-glacial lakes, now drained. They 
are explained as deposits in quiet water oc- 
cupying ice gorges, and Tyrell calls them 
