816 
at Lowerre, Hastings, Sparta and Peekskill, by 
avery thin bed of Quartzite, probably repre- 
senting the Georgian Quartzite of Dutchess 
county. Above this isa thick series of Crystal- 
line Limestones, forming the river valleys of 
the Harlem, Bronx and other rivers, and under- 
lying most of the navigable water ways in the 
vicinity of New York. The upper rocks are 
Mica-schists, which are probably of Hudson 
River age, and make most of the highlands of 
New York City and vicinity. These rocks are ex. 
tensively folded in a general direction of N. 40° 
E., with occasional cross foldings, producing 
the cross valleys. The whole series is crossed 
by the Manhattanville Fault, running from 
Manhattanville, North River, southeastwards 
to the East River, between Ward’s and Black- 
well’s Islands, into Astoria Bay. The fault, 
along which there has been a throw of a num- 
ber of hundred feet, was long ago described 
by Professor Dana. 
The second paper of the evening was by Cap- 
tain J. J. Riley, entitled ‘The Guano Deposits 
of the Islands of the Southern Pacific, and their 
Prehistoric Remains.’ Capt. Riley considered 
in detail the depth, value and manner of work- 
ing of the guano deposits in the Chincha Islands, 
off the southern coast of Peru, from which 
guano was first taken by Humboldt in 1804, 
and which have since been very famous for 
their guano deposits. Between 1850 and 1880 
it is estimated that guano to the value of $550, - 
000,000 in gold was taken from three islands 
alone. The islands lie in the rainless region, 
and the preservation of the guano is due to the 
absence of water. Once in about seven years 
there is a season of quite a little rainfall, which 
has undoubtedly a great effect upon the guano, 
and was considered by Captain Riley to be the 
cause of the blacker bands in the layered de- 
posits. Two burial tombs containing bodies of 
great antiquity have been discovered in the 
guano. The bodies were evidently those of 
royal personages, and apparently, from the 
evidence of slabs containing certain symbols, 
related to the Incas. These tombs were found 
at a depth of 35 and 68 feet, but it is not pos- 
sible to state whether they were buried in the 
guano or later covered by it. The islands, 
three in number, are granitic in character, and 
SCIENCE. 
[N. S. Vou. VI. No. 152. 
were covered by a varying thickness of guano, 
reaching in the more important island a depth 
of 203 feet in places. The exportation of guano 
has, however, ceased since 1880. 
In the discussion Dr. Julien compared these 
islands with other guano-bearing islands of the 
West Indies, paying particular attention to the 
absence of any evidences of human remains 
showing life coincident with the formation of 
the guano. 
The third paper, read by title, was by Mr. 
Stuart Weller, and entitled ‘A New Crinoid 
from the Coal Measures of Kansas.’ 
RiIcHARD E. DoDGE. 
Secretary. 
BOSTON SOCIETY OF NATURAL HISTORY. 
THE first general meeting of the season was 
held November 8d, seventy-five persons pres- 
ent. 
Mr. J. B. Woodworth spoke of Mr. Saville- 
Kent’s work concerning the Great Barrier Coral ~ 
Reef of Australia. He sketched briefly the 
chief results of the studies of Darwin and 
others upon the theory of coral reefs and 
showed a series of lantern slides giving a gen- 
eral view of the life upon the Great Barrier 
Reef. This reef stretches along the coast for a 
distance of more that 1,200 miles; the distance 
from the outer edge of the reef to the main- 
land varies from 10 to over 100 miles. The 
reef and adjacent waters abound in Nullipores, 
Madrepores, Alcyonarians, Holothurians, etc. 
The pearl and pearl-shell, Trepang and oyster 
fisheries are of very great importance. 
SAMUEL HENSHAW, 
Secretary. 
NEW BOOKS. 
Bau und Leben unserer Waldbéiume. M.BusGEN. 
Jena, Gustav Fischer. 1892. Pp. viii+ 230. 
Handbuch der Klimatologie. JuLtrus Haun. 
Stuttgart, J. Engelhorn. 1897. 2d edition, 
revised and enlarged. Vol. I., pp. xii+404; 
Vol. Il., pp. viii+384; Vol. III., pp. viii-+- 
576. 
Essai sur les conditions et les limites dela certitude 
logique. G. MuLHAuD. Paris, Alean. 1898. 
2d edition. Pp. viii+202. 2fr. 50. 
