1884.] 7 [Crosby. 



gave a description of the latter island, its geological structure, 

 its volcanic phenomena and his reasons for agreeing with Prof. 

 Palmieri that it was due to subsidence and not to any re- 

 sumption of volcanic activity in Epomeo which has been quiet 

 for six centuries. He exhibited views, taken on the spot, of the 

 destruction of buildings. On this theory no region can be consid- 

 ered as exempt from earthquakes, as the earth's cooling goes on. 

 [The paper has been privately printed, and will be sent by the 

 author to any one interested.] 



General Meeting, January 16, 1884. 



Ex-President, Mr. T. T. Bouve, in the chair. Forty persons 

 present. 



The following papers were read : — 



ON THE RELATIONS OF THE CONGLOMERATE AND SLATE 

 IN THE BOSTON BASIN. 



BY W. O. CROSBY. 



In my " Contributions to the Geology of eastern Massachusetts," * 

 I have expressed the following general conclusions concerning the 

 stratigraphy of the uncrystalline sediments of the Boston basin : 



1. There are no Carboniferous beds in the Boston basin. 



2. There is in the Boston basin essentially but one formation 

 of conglomerate and one formation of slate. 



3. These sediments, including the Paradoxides bed in Brain- 

 tree, all belong to the same essentially continuous and conforma- 

 ble series, and are, therefore, all of Primordial, or at least of Cam- 

 brian age. 



4. The conglomerate underlies the slate. 



Although the validity of these conclusions has recently been 

 called in question, I am still convinced that they are substantially 

 correct ; and my present purpose is to review the evidence upon 

 which they rest and to answer the arguments which have been 

 advanced against them. 



1 Occasional Papers, Boston Soc. Nat. Hist., vol. in. 



