4 PROCEEDINGS OF THE BUFFALO MEETING. 



geological features near the lake as possible, The titaniferous magnetite at Split- 

 rock mine was examined. This, like all the deposits of titaniferous magnetite in the 

 Adirondack region, was held to be simply an extremely basic segregation from the 

 magma of the gabbro. Not as many of the localities of dikes and other interesting 

 geological phenomena were visited as had been intended, on account of heavy 

 squalls of wind, accompanied by violent rain and hail, which delayed the launch 

 and made a landing at some of the points impossible. It was therefore left at Bur- 

 lington, and we proceeded to Plattsburg by the large steamer which makes regular 

 trips on the lake. 



On "Wednesday the party took an earty train to Ausable Forks, and went from 

 there by stage through the Wilmington notch to lake Placid. The views of the 

 imposing peak of Whiteface and the tremendous precipices which bound the Wil- 

 mington notch on both sides are among the finest scenery in the Adirondacks. 

 The deep and narrow gorge of Wilmington notch, with its remarkably abrupt 

 walls, was explained as probably the result of great faults. Outcrops of anorthosite 

 of several varieties were observed along the road ; and the noonday halt for lunch 

 was made beside a most picturesque cascade, where the West branch of the Ausable 

 river plunges over ledges of granite, intersected by a most interesting network of 

 trap dikes. From lake Placid the party proceeded by rail to Norwood, and thence 

 by an early train Thursday morning to Gouverneur. 



Thursday and Friday were spent in the region of Gouverneur under the direction 

 of Professor C. H. Smyth, Jr. Thursday was occupied in the study of the gneisses 

 and limestones in the immediate vicinity of the town. Two types of gneisses were 

 recognized, quite distinct from each other in character, and very probably in origin. 

 One type of gneiss is prevailingly red in color, never very distinctly foliated, though 

 sometimes acquiring a conspicuously banded appearance by the presence of inclu- 

 sions resembling a biotite or hornblende schist. In some cases this gneiss appears 

 to pass into a truly massive granite. The phenomena seem to indicate that this 

 gneiss is truly a granite, altered by dynamic metamorphism. The other type of 

 gneiss is predominantly dark gray, and very conspicuously bedded. It has more 

 the appearance of being a metamorphosed sedimentary rock. 



Friday forenoon the party visited the talc mines at Talcville. The alteration of 

 enstatite and tremolite into talc was shown by various transitional stages. Speci- 

 mens were obtained of a beautiful purple variety of tremolite for which the locality 

 is noted. 



Friday afternoon the party visited the famous locality of crystalline danburite 

 in the town of Russell. The danburite, and the huge crystals of pyroxene and 

 biotite which are found in the same vicinity, may be derived from a stratum of 

 limestone which has undergone so extensive alteration that the greater part of the 

 calcite has disappeared. From the danburite locality the party proceeded to a 

 remarkable exposure of gabbro, also within the limits of the town of Russell. At 

 this locality part of the gabbro shows essentially the typical character of the rock. 

 Other portions are decidedly gneissoid. In some parts, the rock shows, in addi- 

 tion to a schistose structure, a peculiar concentric banding. 



Friday evening the party returned to Gouverneur ; and Saturday morning the 

 members scattered to their various destinations. The whole number that partici- 

 pated in this excursion was fourteen, though not all of them were present any one 

 day. 



