BENTON FORMATION IN SOUTH DAKOTA 575 



In Nebraska the chalk below Ponca, which has been called Niobrara, is all 

 Greenhorn, including that west of Homer and Dakota City. The writer is sure, 

 also, from personal knowledge that that exposed near Mil ford on the Big Blue, 

 and probably that near Valparaiso, in Saunders county, is the same. 



The Niobrara is known to extend nearly to New Castle, Cedar county, and 

 probably its eastern margin (the western of the Benton exposures) extends thence 

 south and southwest. 



The third paper was 



IROQUOIS BEACH IN ONTARIO 

 BY A. P. COLEMAN 



Remarks were made by G. K. Gilbert, Robert Bell, H. L. Fairchild, 

 W. M. Davis, and the author. The paper is printed as pages 347-368 of 

 this volume. 



The fourth paper was 



EVIDENCES OF SLIGHT GLACIAL EROSION IN WESTERN NEW YORK 



BY H. L. FAIRCHILD 



This paper will be printed in volume 16 under a different title. 

 The next paper was by the same author : 



WANING OF THE GLACIERS OF THE ALPS 

 BY H. L. FAIRCHILD 



The presentation was in description of lantern views from photographs 

 taken during the preceding summer which illustrated the decrease of 

 Alpine glaciers in recent years. 



The following paper was presented : 



EVIDENCE OF THE AGENCY OF WATER IN THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE LOESS 



IN THE MISSOURI VALLEY 



BY G. FREDERICK WRIGHT 



[Abstract] 



The paper is the result of field work conducted during the past year in the vicin- 

 ity of the Missouri between Saint Joseph and Saint Louis. The direct evidence of 

 the agency of water in distributing the loe?s is found : (1) In the relations of the 

 loess to the main valleys of ths Missouri and its larger tributaries ; (2) the existence 

 of distinct laminae, at a height of 180 feet above the river at Saint Joseph, which 

 are very clearly of water origin ; (3) the new light shed upon the glacial occupation 

 of the region by the discovery of northern drift on the south side of the Missouri 

 river 40 miles beyond the boundary which has heretofore been assigned to it; (4) 

 considerations which show the doubtful character of the conclusions drawn from 

 the fossil shells found in the loess; (5) calculations showing the reasonableness of 

 the supposition that at the close of the Iowan stage of the glacial period there were 



