550 The American Naturalist. [June, 
Congress of Geologists, and makes a number of statements that 
require notice. He desires to assume the responsibility of the 
proposition to transfer the meeting of the Congress from Phila- 
delphia to Washington, stating with truth that it was he who 
introduced the proposition. He also states that in his opinion 
the meeting would be a failure if held in Philadelphia, and 
further that Major Powell, director of the U. S. Geological Sur- 
vey, does not desire the Congress to be held in Washington. His 
conclusion is that the meeting had better not be held in America 
at all, but in Europe. 
We did not refer to the fact that Prof. Lesley introduced the 
resolution above mentioned, for the reason that we desired to 
draw a veil over Prof. Lesley’s connection with this matter, for 
obvious reasons. Now, however, that this gentleman has pre- 
ceded us in describing his position, we feel no further delicacy in 
referring to it. Professor Lesley introduced the resolution to 
change the place of meeting in spite of the opposing representa- 
tions of the other members of the Philadelphia committee present, 
—an opposition which has been since emphasized by the issue of 
a circular protest signed by Leidy, Hunt, Frazer, and Cope, to 
to which has been added, at his own request, the name of Senor 
Villanova, the Spanish member of the Bureau. The fact that 
Professor Lesley’s colleagues are opposed to him in his views as 
to the holding of the Congress in Philadelphia should effectually 
silence his objections; for these are, we violate no confidence in 
saying, of a purely personal and most trivial character. That 
such motiyes should be permitted to disturb for a moment the 
Bureau of the International Congress is not to be thought of, 
although Professor Lesley’s disloyalty to Philadelphia and to 
America may interfere with his usefulness in connection with the 
Congress when it meets there. 
‘Professor Lesley states that Major Powell does not desire the 
meeting to be held in Washington. We are glad of it. We 
hope that it will not be held there, as good reasons for making a 
change at this late day are wanting. We will, however, observe 
that Professor Lesley’s motion was not carried until one of 
Major Powell’s had been adopted, viz.: that the Congress be not 
held in Philadelphia. The succeeding motions were mostly made 
