350 KANSAS CITY REVIEW OF SCIENCE. 



from Columbus, he also found it charged with forms similar, or perhaps identical 

 with these. A number of other organic forms are associated with the spores in. 

 the black shale. In fact a flora and fauna of considerable interest are coming to- 

 light in these hitherto neglected strata. 



After a lengthy discussion the section adjourned. 



GEOLOGY AND GEOGRAPHY. 



The first paper was by Principal Dawson, President of the American Asso- 

 ciation for the Advancement of Science, on "The Successive Palaeozoic Floras o 

 Eastern North America, and more especially of Canada." The paper gave a 

 sketch of the characteristic species of plants of the Permo- carboniferous, coal 

 measures, millstone grit and lower carboniferous, and of the upper, middle and 

 lower Erian (Devonian), with special reference to the collections made by the 

 author from these several formations ; and discussed, also, the remains of plants 

 found in the Siberian and older formations. 



Remarks were made upon the subject by Dr. Newberry and Prof. White. 



Prof. J. W. Whiteaves followed with a note on the occurrence of Siphonotre- 

 ta 'Scotica in the Utica formation, near Ottawa, after which Mr. Samuel Lock- 

 wood read a paper on " A Mastodon Americanus, found in a Beaver Dam near 

 Freehold, N. J." The author gave an account of his finding and exhuming the 

 remains of a mastodon in the peat of a meadow, which he conjectured might have 

 been the bed of an ancient beaver dam ; in fact, beaver sticks were found overly- 

 ing the skeleton, indicating that the dam was made after the death of the masto- 

 ton. The tusks of the animal crumbled on approach to the air ; he supposed 

 them to weigh about 400 pounds. It was thus shown that this mastodon was 

 contemporary with the modern beaver, also with the autochthonic man. Mr. 

 Lockwood though this particular animal was geologically quite modern. He 

 described three special finds of mastodon remains within a few miles of each 

 other, on the New Jersey coast — one from a drift-covered swamp close to the sea, 

 and two other instances of relics obtained out to sea. These he adduced as pe- 

 cuHar evidence that the shore of a portion at least of the New Jersey coast had 

 subsided, and fro'u it he inferred that the subsidence had encroached some miles 

 upon the land. 



A NEW GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



Immediately following the adjournment of section " E" a meeting of geolo- 

 gists was held, to consider among themselves the organization of an Ameri- 

 can Geological Society, in no way to conflict with the American Association 

 for the Advancement of Science, and to hear correspondence from emi- 

 nent men throughout the country on the subject. The Committee, which had 

 been formed about a year ago, submitted its report, which consisted of a series of 



