lt>4^ rill Alii'-rinni iriolnijlst. SHptf-mbfr, 1891 
80 that the land over which this Hora extended was wide enough to in- 
clude S. America. This gives a Mesozoic cast to the fossil Carbonif- 
erous flora of the greater part of the southern hemisphere and probabl}- 
to some parts of the northern and indicates apparently, as Prof. L. F. 
Ward pointed out, that in or after the Permian period of glaciatioa the 
old cryptogamic and coniferous flora yielded to its more adaptive 
successor and retreated to the northward where it held its ground for 
awhile. 
The Carboniferous of S. America is in many places, said the speaker, 
covered with marine Liassic beds, often conformable and containing 
genera such as those of Europe. And the whole Mesozoic series is inter- 
calated with immense masses of volcanic material. 
Dr. August Rothpletz of the University of Munich, read an able paper 
on the Mesozoic formation at the E. Indian islands, Timor and Rotti. 
A rich Carboniferous tlora is found there also characterized by 
Glossopteris, and the speaker indicated that the southern area had 
been long isolated from the northern so that passage either way was 
not possible. 
Mr. A. Harker, of Cambridge, England, read a learned but technical 
paper on therniometamorphism in igneous rocks. 
Prof. L. F. Ward presented a paper on the relations of the fossil plants 
of theTriassic in America, in which he pointed out with the aid of tables 
the nature of species peculiar and common to the different Triassic basins 
not known in this country. 
Mr. Joseph F. .lames gave a summary of the literature and history of 
.S'wZz7/< MS pointing out its little value in the classification of rocks and 
suggested that the species should be named from their horizon 
rather than the horizon from the species. 
A paper by Mr. R. A. F. Penrose, on the Tertiary iron ores of Ark. and 
Texas., gave the physical and stratigraphic details of their occurrence. 
Mr. Hay described some "sandstone dykes" in northwestern Nebraska. 
The evening was at first given to two papers on orographic geologj'. 
The first was read by Mr. Cadell of Edinburgh on some experimental 
reproductions of Scottish mountain structures and the second by Mr. 
Bailey Willis on the mechanics of Appalachian mountain structure. 
Both were illustrated by lantern views and were intended to show the 
production of faults and thrust-planes in strata under tangential com- 
pression. 
A series of beautiful and very instructive views of the Muir glacier in 
Alaska by Mr. Gushing closed the evening. These were shown by the 
lime light and formed a marked feature of the meeting to all w^ho saw 
them. M. Cushing's estimate, it ma^^ be remarked, of the rate of motion 
of the glacier reduces the figures of Prof. Wright from 70 feet per day to 
7 feet and even to less, and he also stated that it liad retreated a full half 
mile in the four years since Prof. AV right's visit. 
On Tuesday morning Dr. Fredricli Schmidt, of the Academy of 
Science, St. Petersburgh, read a paper on the Eurypterus beds of Oesel 
compared with those of N. America. 
