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1891.] Editorial. 721 
shelves in the most gradual manner for a distance of several miles 
below the sea-level. It is underlaid with a tenacious, black 
alluvium, representing submerged meadow-land, and from the 
permanency which this gives it, forms a favorite habitat to 
mollusks of great number and variety, so much as to have gained 
the name of “Shell Beach” among the inhabitants of this region. 
The scientific staff consists of Professors Dolley (Director), 
Jayne, Ryder, Wilson, and Cope. 
—ATTENTION may be directed to the shortness of the time 
permitted the meeting of the American Association for the 
Advancement of Science, to be held in Washington, commencing 
August the 19th. As originally announced it was to have closed 
on August the 22d, thus covering only four days, of which three 
may be regarded as working days. It is then succeeded by a two- 
days’ session of the Geological Society of America. By a new 
arrangement the two societies now overlap their sessions. 
Equally inexplicable is the proposition to have the papers of 
foreign geologists read before this society. Is there a scheme 
on foot to extinguish the congress? or is this only one more 
illustration of the confusion of geological ideas that naturally 
emanates from Washington? We are of the opinion that there 
is no proper reason for a meeting of the Geological Society in the 
summer. The meeting during the winter holiday seems to satisfy 
all requirements. 
—IrT ts still far from certain that the execution by electric 
shock is more humane than that by hanging. No detailed report 
of the recent execution of four men at the New York State 
prison has been yet made public, and some of those authorized to 
make it, appear to have a prejudice in favor of this mode of exe- 
cution. The only details which have been reported so far include 
two remarkable statements. One is that these men, as was the 
case with Kemmler, required two discharges to kill them. The 
other was that the face of the only one of the four men which 
was seen by an outsider, was seamed with burns, and that a hole 
was burned in the leg to the bone. That a portion of the dis- 
