SCIENCE. 



[Vol. XXI. No. 519 



List of Papers. 

 A. R. C. Selwyn, On the coals and petroleum of the Crow's Nest 

 Pass, Rocky Mountains; H. P. Bruraell, On the peology of na- 

 tural gas and petroleum in Ontario; H. P. Brumell, Note on the 

 occurrence of petroleum in Gaspe, Quebec; Elfric Drew Ingall, 

 Some features of the phosphate-bearing rocks of Ottawa (read by 

 title) ; Sir J. William Dawson, Note on sponges found in the Cam- 

 bro-Silurian at Little Metis, Canada (read in the absence of the 

 author by Mr. F. D. Adams); J. F. Whiteaves, Notes on the De- 

 vonian formation of Manitoba and the N. W. Territories: Henry 

 M. Ami, Notes on Cambrian fossils from the Selkirks and Rocky 

 Mountain Region of Canada; Henry M. Ami, On the Potsdam and 

 Calciferous terranes of the Ottawa Paleozoic basin ; R D. Salis- 

 bury, Distinct glacial epochs, and the criteria for their recogni- 

 tion; J. B. Tyrrell, Pleistocene phenomena in the region south- 

 east and east of Lalse Athabasca, Canada; A. P. Low, Notes on 

 the glacial geology of the Northeast Territories; Robert Chalmers, 

 The height of the Bay of Fundy coast in the glacial period rela- 

 tive to sea-level, as evidenced by marine fossils in ibe boulder 

 clay at Saint John, New Brunswick; W. J. McGee, The Pleisto- 

 cene history of Northeastern Iowa; Warren Upham, Eskers near 

 Rochester, N. Y,; WaiTen Upham. Comparison of Pleistocene and 

 present ice-sheets; G. Frederick Wright, The post-glacial outlet of 

 the Great Lakes through Lake Nipissing and the Matlawa River; 

 N. H. Darton, On certain features in (he distribution of the Col- 

 umbia formation on the Middle Atlantic slope; George M. Daw- 

 son, Note on the geology of Middleton Island, Alaska (read by R. 

 W. Ells) ; Waldemar Lindgren, Two Neocene Rivers of Califor- 

 nia; Robert W. Ells, On the Laurentian bf the Ottawa district; 

 Robert Bell, The contact of the Laurentian and Huronion north 

 of Lake Huron; W. H. C. Smith, The Ai'chaean Rocks west of 

 Lake Superior; Alfred E. Barlow, On the Archaean of Sud- 

 bury mining district; C. R. Van Hise, Tlie volcanics of the Hu- 

 ronian south of Lake Superior; Charles Rollin Keyes, Some Mary- 

 land granites and their origin (read by Mr. U. S Grant) ; Charles 

 Rollin Keyes, Epidote as a primary component in granites (read 

 by Mr. U. S. Grant); James McEvoy, Notes on the gold range in 

 British Columbia; Israel C. Russell, A geological reconnoissance 

 in the central part of the State of Washington ; R. W. Ells, The 

 importance of photography in illustrating geological structure; 

 J. W. Powell, The work of the United States Geological Survey 

 (read by W. J. McGee) ; J. S. Diller, Cretaceous and Tertiary 

 rocks of the Pacific States; T. W. Stanton, On the faunas of the 

 Shasta and Chico formations; C. Willard Hayes and M. R Camp- 

 bell, Geomorphology of the southern Appalachians; N. H. Dar- 

 ton, Overthrust faults in eastern New York (read by W. J. Mc- 

 Gee). 



The president's address, on the " Problems of the Continents," 

 was an admirable paper which brings up and introduces a subject 

 of paramount importance. It serves as a preliminary basis for 

 work at the coming meeting of geologists at the International 

 Congress to be held in Chicago this summer. 



Mr. W. J. McGee's public lecture was given in the new audito- 

 rium of the Normal School, on the subject "A fossil earthquake;" 

 seldom has an Ottawa audience listened to a clearer and more 

 striking bit of inductive reasoning than this lecture. About 300 

 persons were present, and the lecture was illustrated by stereop- 

 ticon views. Mr. H. N. Topley kindly assisted the lecturer in 

 this matter. 



After the reading of the last papers on the list and programme 

 on Friday evening, three votes of thanks were unanimously passed 

 by the society. The iirst to the President and Fellows of the 

 Royal Society, for their invitation and attention during the ses- 

 sion of the Geological Society. The second to the Governor Gen- 

 eral for his hospitality and the generous as well as gracious interest 

 he had taken in the meetings. The third to the Logan Club of 

 Ottawa for its exertions in making the meeting a success. 



One interesting feature of these meetings was the presence of 

 the Premier of Canada, the Hon. Sir John Thompson, K.C.M.G., 

 and of the Hon. T. M. Daly, Minister of the Interior and Geolog- 

 ical Survey Department, when Dr. McGee read the paper pre- 

 pared by Major J. W. Powell, director of the United Slates Geo- 

 logical Survey on the work of that survey. At the conclusion of 



the paper Sir John Thompson, Mr. Daly, M P., and Dr. Selwyn 

 took part in the discussion. The comparative work and useful- 

 ness of the Geological Surveje of Canada and the United States was 

 an interesting as well as practical question. 



Altogether th^ meetings were most successful and teeming with 

 interest, and closed with hopes of having another similar one at 

 no distant date. 



SEVENTH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE IOWA ACADEMY 

 OF SCIENCE. 

 The seventh annual meeting of the Iowa Academy of Sci'- 

 ence convened in the High School Building in Cedar Rapids. 

 Several enthusiastic sessions were held during day and evening 

 of the 87th and 38th. The following papers were read: — 



Professor S. Calvin presented a paper "On the Relation of the 

 Woodbury Sandstones and Shales and the Inoceramus Beds of 

 White to the Subdivisions of the Cretaceous proposed by Meek 

 and Havden," in which he gave a thorough review of the subject 

 and illustrations of various sections beaiiiig upon it. Perhaps one' 

 of the most important points cf the paper was in regard to the 

 identity of strata differing lithologically at different points, but 

 Ijroven to be the same, and in the view of the author the differ- 

 ence due simply to difference in distance from the shore line of 

 the water in which they were deposited. 



In a paper on " The Structure and Probable Affinities of Ceri- 

 onites dactyloides Owen," Professor Calvin discussed the former 

 views regarding this problematic fossil and showed some very 

 fine specimens and drawings illustrating his view that this is a 

 gigantic Prototozoan or colony of protozoans, a view which, with 

 the evidence presented, seems more reasonable than any hithertO' 

 offered. 



Dr. C. R. Keyes read a paper "On Natural Gas and Oil in 

 Iowa," in which he maintained that the failure to find these ma- 

 terials in paying quantities so far in this State is not to be taken 

 as proof that they will not be found. He also presented by title 

 two papers, one entitled " Some Mineralogical Notes," and the 

 other ' ■ Surface Disintegration of Granitic Masses and Some A meri- 

 can Eruptive Granites." 



Professor J. L. Tilton, in a paper "From Ford to Winterset,'' 

 gave a number of carefully determined sections of the various ex- 

 posures between these towns, and illustrated by a large chart in 

 which they were shown drawn to scale for the entire distance. 



Professor C. O. Bates discussed the " Analysis of Water for 

 Railway Engines," giving details of his work in this line and sug- 

 gestions as to the methods to be used and the results desired in 

 such work. 



Professor F. M. Witter, in "Some Observations on Helix coop- 

 eri," gave an interesting account of his observations on this mol- 

 lusk in Colorado and exhibited a number of specimens of differ- 

 ent ages. 



His paper on the " Absence of Ferns between Fort Collins and 

 Meeker, Colorado," contained a statement of his efforts to secure 

 these plants in that region and discussed the causes for paucity of 

 such material. 



Professor Witter also presented a paper entitled " Notice of 

 Stone Implements from Mercer County, Illinois, and Louisa Coun- 

 ty, Iowa," and accompanied it with exhibition of two very inter- 

 esting stone implements. 



Mr. Gilman Drew discussed "The Frogs' Lease of Life," giving 

 a graphic account of the ability of frogs to survive under adverse 

 circumstances, and showing that it has a very strong vitality. 

 Details of a number of experiments in subjecting frogs to tem- 

 peratures at varying points below freezing were given, also ob- 

 servations on the vitality of frogs' eggs. 



Mr. Drew also remarked upon the inheritance of acquired char- 

 acters as illustrated in the Honey Bee. 



Professor C. C. Nutting, the retiring president of the Academy, 

 took as his subject for presidential address ' ' What We Have Been 

 Doing," and showed in a very exhaustive and pleasing article 

 what the members of the Academy had been engaged in scientifi- 

 cally during the year past. His paper will be an interesting bib- 

 liography of the scientific papers published by Iowa men. 



