Personal and Scientific News. 331 
given to interesting geological localities in the vicinity. And 
invitations have been sent to the honorary members in the 
U. S. and elsewhere to be present and contribute to the in- 
terest of the occasion. 
The Russian Province of Kursk proves to be one of 
the most remarkable areas of magnetic disturbance yet 
known. M. Moureaux reports that the differences between 
theory and observation are so great that it is not possible to 
draw isomagnetic lines, and the magnetic force is as great as 
it would be in the immediate vicinit)' of the magnetic 
poles. 
It is a remarkable fact that of over 100 finds of 
iron meteorites only nine have been seen to fall, while of 
over 400 finds of stony meteorites more than one-half have 
been seen to fall. Mr. H. L. Preston finds several reasons 
for believing that the iron meteorites are merely the crystal- 
lized metallic nodules contained in the larger and more con- 
spicuous stony meteorites. 
Professor Agassiz of Harvard has arrived at .San Francis- 
co after an absence of some months in the South Seas spent in 
studying the formation of the coral islands. It is said that he is 
prepared to demonstrate, in opposition to the theories of 
Darwin and Dana, that the coral islands are not built up 
from the bottom, but are formed by a comparatively thin 
crust of coral upon tops of submerged mountains at points 
where the ocean is comparatively shallow. In nearly every 
instance where borings have been made in the coral the 
coral has been found to be shallow. At a few places where 
it seems to have great depths Professor Agassiz says that 
the material into which deep borings are made is lime of a 
former age of the earth. 
The American Association for the Advancement of 
Science will hold its fiftieth anniversary meeting in Boston 
on August 22nd to 27th. Every preparation is being made 
to make this meeting of great interest, and it is hoped that 
it will be the largest and most enthusiastic meeting yet held. 
The members of the local committee are making elaborate 
arrangements for entertaining the Association, and a num- 
ber of excursions to points of interest will be given. The pres- 
ident elect. Prof. F. W. Putnam of .Salem, Mass., who has been 
permanent secretar}' of the Association for twenty-five )'ears, 
will retain that position until the Boston meeting. The of- 
ficers of section E, geology and geograph}', are: Vice pres- 
ident. Prof. H. L. Fairchild, University of Rochester, Roch- 
ester, N Y.; Secretary, Mr. Warren Upham, Minnesota 
Historical Society, St. Paul, Minn. 
Copper in Lake Superior Iron Mines. Twoorthree 
years ago some copper minerals, including the native metal. 
