20 TIte American Geologist. jjumary. jro* 
vicnv of tilt' prcsi'iit stiitc i>r progress in this one (l('|);irtm('nl of flio 
iiuHiiri<^s coiu-oniiiiji iiiiurs !iiirj<|iiit\."" 
Wf do not wisli to he iiiidcrstood to c-ill in (iin'stion the veracity of 
tliose who liave reported "impleiiienl s" Iti jfhicial {^nivelis. We have 
no reiisoii to donl)t lluit their conchisions hiiv(^ been lionestly stated. 
But tlieyi'iiiv ti:>\ e lieeii in error in thinkinfi the frravel. eoiitiiiiiiiij; 
the works of art. iindistnrlted. 
Etiouj^h lias been said to show tliat in ".Man and the (ilaeial IVriod," 
facts are loosely dealt with.tluit authors are loosely cjuoted.aud some- 
times misquoted, and that interpretations are sometimes j^iveii with- 
out (piestion, w hen the evidence does not warrant them. 
riiinrxitii of i'hiiitijn. .\nr. /.;. 
FRONDESCENT HEMATITE. 
Hv N. H. WiNTHBi.!,. Miniipapolifi. 
Pl.VTKS II .\N1) III. 
In the April (1S!»2) immber of the (J Koi-(»(iisT, Mr. W. S. 
Gresley gave an illustrated de.scriptiou of a '• peculiar phenome- 
non in hematite. '■ derived from some mine in tlie lake Superior 
resyion to him unknown. The fibrous structure of the ore sug- 
gested the name ir<>fi</ iron ore altliough it was not supposed that 
the ore resulted from fossilization of wood. Mr. (rresley called 
particular attention to the peculiar holes seen passing through 
the specinu'ii theti' photouraplied, this b»'ing the chit-f feature of 
interest. 
Receutlv a larger speeimeii of the s;ime form of dense hematite 
has come under the writtu's notice and the accompanying plates 
(ii and 111) are reproductions about two-thirds natural size from 
photouraphs of the opposite sides of this specimen. It is said to 
havecome fiomtlu' N'ulcan mine. .Mieliiiiaii. and isoneof the finest 
of its kind. lU'ferring to the very full and accurate descrijjtions of 
the [)hysical char:icters by Mr. (Iresley. every feature he has 
mentioned, so far as noticed. ai)[)e:irs on tiiis specinieii. but in 
addition there is a hirger number of the peculiar channels pierc- 
ine; this mass, and there is a fiirtlier development of the radiat- 
ing filaments or tib(!rs which, in tiieir completion in frond-like 
growths, indicate the relation of these chainiels to the i)rocess of 
development. It appears that in the process of increase thes(( 
fibers, starting from different but slightly distant points, and 
having: a tendency to expand by multiplication, tlie growths soon 
