1876. | Geography and Travels, 199 
decomposition the carbonaceous material in the associated rocks. 
The heat derived from the slowly cooling injected rocks may 
_have played an important -part in this process. 
The mineral whose geological occurrence we have thus 
described, gives, when subjected to chemical tests, almost pre- 
cisely the same reactions as albertite. It is insoluble in heated 
acids and alkalies, and is but sparingly if at all soluble in alcohol, 
ether or oil of turpentine. Like albertite, also, it is infusible, but 
softens by heat and burns with a yellow flame, emitting an agree- 
able odor. It gives when incinerated a little less than 0.10 per 
cent. of ash— Amer. Four. Sci. and Arts, August. 
Tue Hupson River Group AT PouGHKEEPSIE.—As the result 
of the examination of the Hudson River region by Profs. Logan 
and Hall, these gentlemen traced the “ Hudson River Group” as 
far as Rhineback, and gave that as its eastern boundary. At a 
June meeting of the Poughkeepsie Society of Natural Science, 
Prof. T. Nelson Dale (who has temporarily occupied the chair of 
geology at Vassar College) reported the occurrence of fossils 27 
situ in the college grounds. The specimens shown and presented 
by him to the society were Leftena sericea, an Orthis (undeter- 
mined) and some fragments of Encrinites. A few days ago Prof. 
Dale and the secretary of the Poughkeepsie Society of Natural 
Science, Dr. E. H. Parker, made a careful examination of the rocks 
on the west side of the river, opposite Poughkeepsie, and about 
a mile back, and were fortunate enough to discover large quantities 
of the same species of Brachiopods as those mentioned above, as 
well as some excellent specimens of what appear to be Fucoids, 
and similar to what Dana figures as Buthotrephis. This discov- 
ery would seem to show that the “ Hudson River Group” extends 
perhaps as far as the Highlands— W. R. Gerard. 
GEOGRAPHY AND TRAVELS.' 
AMERICAN GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY. PRESIDENT'S ANNUAL AD- 
DREss.—At the meeting of this Society held in New York, Feb- 
ruary II, 1879, the President, Chief Justice Daly, delivered his 
annual address in which, instead of giving the usual summa 
of the progress of geographical exploration and research during 
the past year, he chose as his subject, “ The History of Cartog- 
raphy, or the Progress of the Art of Map-making from the Earli- 
est Times to those of Mercator.” Cartographic Art, he stated, is 
probably as old or older than the invention of the alphabet, and 
has been found in use among races who had had no previous con- 
tact with civilized man nor any written language. The Esqui- 
Maux understood the charts of Parry and Ross and even extended 
lines of coast unknown to the explorers. The North American 
Indians have always had maps which were serviceable to them. 
1 Edited by ELLIS H. YARNALL, Philadelphia. 
