198 Scientific Intelligence. 



Modern Knowledge " and is a readable volume dealing with such 

 subjects as the nebular origin, the formation of the earth's crust, 

 the plan of the earth, the deformation of the earth and the origin 

 of life. It is a difficult and doubtful task to deal in a popular 

 and yet scientific manner with subjects so speculative and on 

 which so little is securely known. It is unfortunate that many 

 speculative views are stated in this volume with the confidence of 

 better demonstrated conclusions, and important difficulties if 

 appreciated are not mentioned. Thus the lay reader w T ill either 

 come to regard geology as a visionary science or gain a false con- 

 fidence in its more speculative aspects. j. b. 



9. The Geological Society of America. — The twenty-fifth 

 annual meeting of the Geological Society was held in New Haven, 

 Connecticut, under the auspices of Yale University, from Decem- 

 ber 28 to 31. The meeting was largely attended and many inter- 

 esting papers were presented. The presidential address, delivered 

 by Prof. H. L. Fairchild on Saturday evening, was on the sub- 

 ject of " The Pleistocene Formations of New York State." The 

 morning sessions for the three days were general in character, in 

 which the entire Society united, while in the afternoon three sec- 

 tional sessions were held : Group A, dynamic, structural, glacial, 

 and physiographic, presided over by the President ; Group B, 

 stratigraphic and paleontologic, presided over by the Vice-Presi- 

 dent, Prof. David White ; and Group C, petrologic, mineralogic, 

 and economic, presided over by the Vice-President, Prof. I. C. 

 White. A geological excursion to the neighboring trap sheets 

 and dikes was planned for Sunday morning, but on account of 

 bad weather had to be given up ; in the afternoon the Peabody 

 and Art Museums, and the University Library, were open for 

 inspection. 



A special feature was the evening meeting of the 29th, com- 

 memorating the centenary of the birth of James D. Dana ; this 

 was opened by President Hadley, and brief addresses followed 

 having reference to Dana as a man, by Professor W. N. Rice ; 

 as a teacher, by Dr. E. O. Hovey ; as a geologist, by Dr. G. P. 

 Merrill ; and as a zoologist, by Prof. J. M. Clarke (read by Prof. 

 H. L. Fairchild). There was also an exhibition of the Dana 

 books, manuscripts, diplomas, and medals in the Library. 



The Paleontological Society also held its fourth annual meet- 

 ing at New Haven, on December 30, 31, and the Association of 

 American Geographers met there on December 27, 28. 



10. Gems and Precious Stones of the United States. — Among 

 the many interesting advance chapters of the Mineral Resources 

 of the United States for 1911, attention should have been called 

 earlier to that on the Gems and Precious Stones, by Dr. D. B. 

 Sterrett. Among the points of special interest are noted the 

 opening of an emerald mine near Shelby, N. C, yielding valuable 

 gems ; the development ' in the output of agate and jasper, and 

 their related varieties of quartz ; and the development of sap- 

 phire mining in Montana. It is stated that the output of dia- 



