July 3, 1!)03.1 



SCIENCE. 



17 



(where we miss the results of Standfuss and 

 Fischer), and finally discusses adaptive varia- 

 tion. The author admits the importance of 

 self-adaptations, which are, however, in his 

 opinion, of little effect without natural selec- 

 tion. ' Degeneration ' is a difficulty that the 

 author does not attempt to compass, while 

 admitting the unsatisfactory nature of Weis- 

 mann's explanation. He should remember 

 that the theory that phylogenetic ' degenera- 

 tion ' is due to disuse has inadequate support, 

 and that animals with ' degenerate ' organs, 

 however produced, can still be adapted if they 

 get into situations where such organs are of 

 no use. 



The book will be a welcome one to those 

 who desire quickly to get at the recent litera- 

 ture on variation. The data are given in an 

 impartial, sometimes even colorless way. The 

 book lacks the vigor of the special plea and 

 the enthusiasm of the book of one idea. It 

 ■will be found very useful; but it will not 

 found a school. C. B. Davenport. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES. 



NEW YORK .\CADEMY OF SCIEXCES. 

 SECTION OF GEOLOGY AND MINERALOGY. 



A REGULAR meeting of the Section of Geol- 

 ogy and Mineralogy was held at the rooms of 

 the American Museum of Natural History on 

 the evening of April 20, with Professor Kemp 

 in the chair. Dr. A. A. Julien presented the 

 results of his work on the hornblende schist 

 which occurs at the extreme northern end of 

 Manhattan Island near Spuyten Duyvil Creek. 

 He was able, in the first place, to prove the 

 undoubted igneous origin of this rock by the 

 unaltered crystals pointing to an original gab- 

 bro which it still preserves. The speaker then 

 presented his views in favor of the igneous 

 origin of all the hornblende schists of Man- 

 hattan Island. 



The second paper was by Mr. D. W. Johnson, 

 on ' The Geology of the Cerrillos Hills, New 

 Mexico.' The Cerrillos Hills form the most 

 northerly group of a series of four laccolithic 

 mountain masses in north-central New Mexico. 

 The relation of these hills to the associated 

 Cretaceous beds and the age of the intrusion 



were discussed. A brief petrographical de- 

 scription of the several igneous rocks was 

 given and the subdivision and correlation of 

 the sedimentaries on paleontological grounds 

 considered. The origin of the anthracite coal 

 of the Madrid area and the origin of the fa- 

 mous turquoise deposits of the hills were then 

 treated. The speaker closed with a resume of 

 the geologic history of the region. Professor 

 Kemp led in the discussion which followed. 

 Dr. H. S. Washington was asked by the chair- 

 man to calculate an analysis of the tjiie of 

 andesite which is found in the Cerrillos Hills. 

 George I. Finlay, 

 Secretary pro tern. 



Ox May 18 the first paper was by Dr. 

 George I. Finlay, of Columbia University, 

 and was upon ' The Geology of the Nephelite 

 Syenite Area at San Jose, Tamaulipas, 

 Mexico.' 



In this paper Dr. Finlay said in part : The 

 town of San Jose in the state of Tamaulipas, 

 Mexico, lies in a hollow surrounded on all 

 sides by mountains, and is about seventy miles 

 from the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. The 

 range of peaks immediately to the south of 

 it, and extending for fifteen miles in that 

 direction, is of nephelite syenite. The range 

 is known as the San Carlos Mountains. San 

 Jose itself is on the site of an eroded laccolith 

 of andesite (locally known as 'porphyry'), in- 

 truded into limestone. Some limestone masses 

 stand on end within the areas of the laccolith, 

 and are thought to have floated or worked their 

 way down to their present position during the 

 intrusion of the igneous rock. There are two 

 or three hundred of these isolated limestone 

 masses, and it is in connection with these that 

 the copper ores are found. Contact metamor- 

 phism has not been developed to any great ex- 

 tent in the limestone surrounding the lacco- 

 lith, but has been greatly induced in the in- 

 cluded masses, marble, grossularite, vesuvianite 

 and several other minerals being the products. 

 Aside from the occurrence of the nephelite- 

 syenite in the area south of the laccolith, the 

 region is interesting on account of the dyke 

 rocks which are found cutting the andesite of 

 the laccolith. Among these are analcite- 



