258 TliiAmificdit (iinhxj'ixt. October, ]8!tl 
tlu)i()ii<:;li (Un'flion of the doings f»f tlii.' Congress, as least so far 
as to see that parties are at hand witii well prepared papers to 
})ring the topics of discussion fully before the Congress. It is 
manifest that each new "Bureau " elected after the session opens. 
is in no degeee prepared to provide for this necessarj' guidance of 
the delilierations of the Congress. It is a precaution which ought to 
be taken several months, or perhaps several years, before the Con- 
gi*ess convenes. The practice of national '-nomenclature re- 
ports." which in this case might have been con-chttlon reports^ 
from the countries participating in the Congress, but which was 
apijari'ntly not attempted and not encouraged h\ the American 
organizing committee, would certainly subserve this purpose per- 
fectly. This would be more likeh' to be satisfactory, being more 
•'democratic,'" than that plan which was entered upon by the 
Knglish organizing committee In re the crystalline schists. That 
committee solicited contributions from individuals on that specific 
topic. AVhile this resulted in the production of a numlier of 
learned and very valuable contributions which grace the volume 
latelv issued b}' the English committee, it cannot be considered as 
the best way to promote harmony and to extend and perpetuate 
an interest in the Congress. If the Congress be in fact an '• in- 
ternational '" one, the various nationalities should have sj^stem- 
atized participation in its doings, and the organizing committee 
should be empowered and directed to take steps to facilitate such 
general participation. The late Congress passed otf w ith the sim- 
ple presentation, largely or entirely, of some American views on 
American geolog}', followed by such desultor}- comment or dis- 
cussion as happened to spring up. If such a practice be perpet- 
uated in future sessions, the Congress will finallv degenerate to 
an elementary school of geolog}', wherein the visiting geologists 
will learn the outlines and general principles of the geology of 
the countries where the separate sessions may l)e held, and it will 
be a question of a short time, a very short time, whether the use- 
fulness and the purposes of the Congress, as set forth bj' the 
founders, be not so far lost sight of or so remotely sul)served 
that the sessions had better be discontinued. 
The next session will be at Berne, Switzerland, and we wish to 
appeal to the intelligent geologists of that little republic, to early 
take measures to make the next session a truly '-international " 
and representative one. 
