THE "^J^LLE^" ISrjtJTTTtt.&JLJLST. 
of years ago who were instrumental in 
building up the Florida Reefs which under- 
lie a large part of the state. I have myself 
come to this conclusion from an examination 
of fossil corals found in the interior. This 
fact does not, however, prove the immense 
age of Florida as argued by the late Prof. 
Agassiz. The conditions were no doubt dif- 
ferent when the earlier reefs began to grow. 
The whole peninsula was, undoubtedly, at 
that time washed by the waters of two seas 
— the Atlantic and the Gulf. I think this 
•can be proved by very good evidence. For 
instance, many species of shells, common on 
the Atlantic side of Florida, are not found at 
all on the Gulf or west coast; but when one 
follows the Gulf westward to Galveston, 
here are seen again the Atlantic forms. This 
curious fact points to one conclusion, that 
the Atlantic waters once rolled across the 
nothern part of Florida bearing westward 
the Atlantic fauna, which, encountering the 
Gulf stream and other foreign conditions 
sweeping around the west Florida coast 
northwards, were unable to survive, but 
found a congeneal home farther away from 
these influences. Another proof of the late 
formation of Florida is, the low level of the 
state and its slight elevation above the sea. 
The casual observer would, say that but a 
few thousand years would be necessary to 
bring it to its present condition— judging by 
appearances. My first supposition being 
true, however, the theory that the peninsula 
was gradually extended southwards by con- 
secutive reefs, one being finished, or nearly 
so, before another was begun, as asserted by 
Agassiz, must fall to the ground. Granting 
that a constant supply of fresh sea water is 
necessary to the successful growth of coral 
reefs, we have this requisite supplied on the 
basis of my proposition. This being so, 
scores of coral reefs were being built at the 
same time. I think there is no doubt of 
this. No positive data can, of course, be 
had as to the time necessary to complete a 
reef of say one hundred feet of thickness. 
That being the greatest depth at which the 
reef coral builders can work. But that reefs 
grow more rapidly than formerly supposed 
there is no doubt. Such being the case, 
when we consider the additional agencies 
brought in as the reef approaches the sur- 
face of the sea to assist in the last act of 
^making it dry land, we may conclude that 
continent building in Florida has not, after 
all, been so slow. There are many interest- 
ing facts about corals and coral reefs which 
I have not time now to consider. 
Local Meteorology. 
The Academy of Sciences, met at the Poly- 
technic Institute. Monday night January 
21st, ten members being present including 
Dr. George Engelmann, Prof. Nipher, Judge 
Holmes, Prof. Potter, Dr. Sanders and 
.Messrs. H. W. Tivy, Theodore Linck, and 
O. W. Collet. Mr. H. T. Woodman, of Du- 
buque, was also present. 
The corresponding secretary presented the 
•academy with a number of scientific maga- 
zines and papers received by him the past 
month, and called the academy's attention to 
an article in one of them about the vertibrate 
remains in the phosphate beds of South 
Carolina, and giving Dr. Leidy's conclusions 
in regard to them, 
Mr. Collet presented the academy with an 
old work on chemistry by Wm. Gregory. 
The secretary was instructed to subscribe 
for a copy of a catalogue of scientific serial 
publications published by Harvard College. 
Prof. Potter exhibited some specimens of 
spiegel-eisen covered with graphite. The 
coating was done by nature, the professor 
said. The specimens came from tne Vulcan 
Iron works, situated at South St. Louis. 
Dr. Engelmann presented his weather re- 
port for the month of December. The mean 
temperature for the month was 46.8 degrees, 
which was 13.2 degrees above the mean tem- 
perature for the last forty -two Decembers, 
23.5 degrees higher than the mean tempera- 
ture of the coldest December since 1842, and 
4.9 degrees above the mean temperature of 
the warmest December in forty-two years. 
Judging from the weather observations for 
the past forty-two years. Dr. Engelmann 
looked for a mild January and a doubtful 
February, and in case both months proved 
to be mild ones, then a cold March and a late 
spring. 
Specimens of ceral growth were presented 
by Mr. Hilder and by Mr. Woodman, of Du- 
buque. 
An old fiddle with a mud-dauber's nest in 
it was also exhibited. The violin once be- 
longed to Lipensky, the celebrated violinist 
of Dresden. It was brought to America 
about fifty years ago by a relative of its orig- 
inal owner, and lay in disuse the next thirty 
years, in a house in Washington County, Mo. 
It was then brought to St. Louis by Mr, P. G. 
Anton and has been in constant use ever 
since. The wasp nest must have been built 
in the violin some twenty years ago, but was 
not discovered until a short time ago, and 
the fiddle with its load of dry mud was then 
sent to Prof C. V. Riley for examination. 
Meteorology. 
Much credit is due Prof. F. Cipher, for 
his exertions toward establishing a volunteer 
Weather Service in Missouri. We have just 
received a summery of the observations 
made in December last, together with two 
charts, showing temperature, rain-fall &c. 
The December just past is remarkable for its 
abnormal temperature; the mean tempera- 
ture at St. Louis being 45 degrees, which is 
12 degrees above the norman December, and 
2 degrees above the normal November. At 
Lexington and Clinton, Mo. rose, peach, lilic 
and other buds were unfolding, and at the 
latter place strawberries were reported in 
bloom. At St. Louis earth-worms came to 
the surface in immense numbers on the 24th, 
and frogs were heard on the 18th at Lexing- 
ton and St. Charles, The rain-fall at St. Louis 
was 3.24 inches, a slight excess over the nor- 
mal which is 3.03. 
At St. Louis the highest temperature was 
69 degrees on the 12th and the lowest was 19 
degrees on the 2nd. 
The total run of the wind for the month 
was 7742 miles; an average of 250 miles per 
day. The highest daily run was 495 miles 
on the 30th and the lowest was 117 on the 
17th. 
Introduction . 
It affords me the greatest pleasure to in- 
form the readers of the Yalley Natural- 
ist, that the publisher has decided to devote 
one column or more of his valuable publica- 
tion to the subject of Geology. Under this 
bead will be found descriptions of interesting 
fossil localities; notes on recent discoveries 
and explorations ; short articles concerning 
minerals and their uses, and observations 
made by myself and others who I hope will 
contribute liberally. 
Geology, as well as other natural sciences, 
may be said to be nothing more than a classi- 
fied arrangement of facts and principles de- 
rived from observations and experiments 
made dining a long series of years by many 
individuals. The apparently most trifling 
fact or principle, is therefore worthy of be- 
ing treasured up for the benefit of the public. 
But if we should go beyond these facts, and 
begin to guess, we would be no longer scien- 
tific; and we would have a weak system, for 
it is a very weak system that can not stand 
up against anybody's guesses. Even the 
rough notes of the geologist concerning the 
drift, glacier markings, erosion, sand shifts 
&c, when dotted down at the time of observ- 
ation, are very valuable and highly interest- 
ing. 
With the aid of liberal contributors we will 
aim to make this department not only inter- 
7 
esting, but also instructive. 
Yours respectfully, 
Grand Rapids, Mich. W. H. Hughes. 
Drift of Michigan. 
BY W. H. HUGHES, GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. 
Nearly all parts of the peninsula are cov- 
ered with an accumulation of gravel, clay 
and sand without any regular order of strat- 
ification. We generally find at the surface a 
layer of sand extending downward some- 
times to a depth of 75 feet, oftentimes thin 
sheets of clay will be found running through 
the sand. 
The material at the bottom of the drift is 
generally made up of large beds of clay and 
pebbles, also boulders of hornblendic, mica- 
ceous, granitic, and quartzose rocks. Prof. 
Winchell, in speaking of the drifts, says: 
** Their average thickness in the Grand 
Traverse Region is unknown. It is probable 
however, that they are 50 feet thick at North- 
port, 60 at Sutton's bay, 100 at Traverse City, 
and from two to four hundred in the interior 
of Leelenaw and Benzie counties." 
During the summer of 1876 a shaft was 
sunk at Big Rapids, Mich, to a depth of 242 
feet. The first 20 feet was through fine yel- 
low sand, the next fifty-six feet through very 
loose quick sand and water, at this point, (76 
feet) a bed of fine compact gravel was struck 
and numerous specimens of Black Bitumin- 
ous Shale were taken out. At 92 feet they 
were still in the gravel, and some fine speci- 
mens of quartziferous and micaceous rocks 
were obtained; at 116 feet a bed of clay was 
found containing small pebbles, and from this 
point to 240 feet there were alternate beds of 
sand, gravel and boulder clay; at 241 feet the 
clay contained a large amount of sand, and 
stratification was distinctly marked. 
Erosion. 
BY W. H. HUGHES, GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. 
There are very few, if any readers of the 
Valley Naturalist, who have not noticed 
the erosion or war, which is constantlv go- 
ing on wherever the waters have motion. 
Small streams carry off sand and light peb- 
bles, and deepen their bed, also the rill and 
rivulet, as may be seen on the roadside after 
a rain storm. 
Rapid rivers wear with far greater power, 
tearing up trees, displacing rocks, and in 
time cutting deep gorges in their course, 
smoothing ann polishing the rocks, which 
are too firm to be detached by the force of 
the water. 
I was shown a specimen of coal not long 
ago, which had been polished by the action 
of the water, until it was nearly as reflective 
as a mirror. 
Even the hardest rocks are worn and pol- 
ished by water, as may be noticed in the 
pebbles bordering every stream, at some- 
time they were irregular fragments which 
have been broken from rocks, and by being 
carried along by the stream, came in contact 
with other hard substances and have gradu- 
ally become rounded and polished. 
CORRESPONDENCE . 
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respondents wanted in everv State. 
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