-æ 
1886.] Proceedings of Scientific Societies. 97 
Proposition tv, after strong opposition from Professor Hughes 
and M. Jacquot, was finally so modified as to allow the com- 
mittee to adopt it provisionally for the purposes of the map with- 
out prejudging abstract scientific questionsat all, and thus carried. 
Propositions v and vi were carried without objection. ~ 
Sept. 30, 1885, at 2.30 P. M., the congress reassembled to take 
action on the report of the committee on the unification of no- 
menclature which was then presented by M. Dewalque. 
The reading of this report, which was much longer than the 
other, was taken up at p. 13, A. 
The thirteen pages of the report thus skipped had been in the 
main adopted at the Bologna Congress, a few minor points having 
been left for future adjustment. They concerned for the most part 
definitions of terms such as “ group,” which it was advised should 
be applied to the division of the highest order (e. g. secondary 
group, etc.); the next division should be systems (Devonian sys- 
tem, etc.); the third should be series (e. g. the coal measures sertes 
of the Carboniferous system) ; the fourth division should be stages 
(“étages ”) (millstone grit, stage, etc.); the division of the fifth 
order was decided upon for French only, “ assise” or “ couches.” 
Zone” should be used for a number of beds having one or more 
fossils to characterize them, but it should be inferior as an order 
of classification to “ stage.” “Bank” was selected to imply a bed 
(couche or assise), thicker or more coherent than those in its vi- 
cinity, among which it is intercalated. These and certain conclu- 
Sions as to the application of the terminations “ary,” “ic,” a d 
ian”—the first for the groups, the second for the series, and 
the third for*the stages—completed the linguistic portion of the 
report. It is to be observed that no adjective termination to pre- 
cede system was proposed. 
The remainder of the report, unacted upon, concerned subjects 
partly implied in the later portions. 
Archean—It was decided to give to the Pre-palzozoic rocks the 
name Archzan instead of Primitive, and while recognizing three 
divisions to allow each geologist to distinguish them by petro- 
graphic characters. 
_ Silurian —On the motion of Professor Archibald Geikie, the de- 
cision as to the limits of the Silurian and Devonian is left till the 
meeting of the congress in London in 1888, but the committee 
on the chart has liberty to divide the lower system of the Palaeozoic 
group into three parts of which the names will be determin 
upon later. 
VOL, XX.—no,. x, 7 
