ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS PRESENTED 107 



PRELIMINARY DISCUSSION OF THE STRATIGRAPHY AND AGE OF THE 

 PYROTHERIUM BEDS OF PATAGONIA 



BY FREDERICK B. LOOMIS * 



(Abstract) 



First description of the lay of the beds above and below — characteristics of 

 fauna — conclusions as to age. 



ORGANIZATION OF SECTION ON VERTEBRATE PALEONTOLOGY 



The members of the Society especially interested in vertebrate paleon- 

 tology now organized a section for the reading of their more technical 

 papers, meeting apart from the main section, which continued with 

 the papers on general paleontology and stratigraphy. The minutes 

 of the vertebrate section are given on pages 117 to 121. 



The following paper was presented without notes and illustrated by 

 lantern slides and diagrams; 20 minutes. Discussed by A. YV. Grabau, 

 E. S. Bassler, E. 0. Ulrich, W. A. Parks, A. F. Foerste, G. H. Chadwick, 

 and M. Y. Williams. 



THE CATARACT: A NEW FORMATION AT THE BASE OF THE SILURld IN 

 ONTARIO AND NEW YORK 



BY CHARLES SCHUCHERT 



(Abstract) 



It was shown that the Medina formation of western New York is not at the 

 base of the Siluric, but that fully 50 feet of the Medina at Niagara Falls be- 

 long to a new formation, named the Cataract from Cataract, Ontario, where 

 it is well developed (82 feet thick) and replete with fossils. The Cataract 

 formation was traced from Niagara Falls, New York^to the Manitoulin [stands, 

 where it is 110 feet thick, the lower portion (45 feet) consisting of thin-bedded 

 magnesian limestone, and the upper of red shales barren of fossils. 



On account of the similarity of subjects, Mr. Ulrica's paper on the 

 Medina problem, transferred from the Geological Society of America, 

 was voted next on the program, it was read from manuscript and illus- 

 trated with charts; 30 minutes. Discussed by A. W. Grabau, (i. II. 

 Chadwick, and A. F. Foerste, with reply by the author. 



THE !//:/>/ \ l PROBLEM 



BY E. O. UUtU IB 



(Abstract) 



A brief history of the Medina sandstone was first presented, special emphasis 

 being placed on the definition given by Vanuxem, who referred the Oneida to 



