418 The American Geolor/iftf. December, ISHT 
M. K.'irpinsky. roL-oiving the medal from the hist speaker, answered 
thus: 
M. Frazer, I am deeply touched by youi- words so eloquent and full of 
sympathy for me, my Russian colleafj;ues, and our country. I am very 
much overcome by the great honor which the Academy of Natural Sci- 
ences has been willing to accord to me. 
I am actually confused at being placed in the same rank with the 
great savants who have received before myself this mark of distinction. 
I beg you, Sir and very much honored colleague, to transmit to the 
Academy of Natural Sciences my deep and warm thanks. (Applause.) 
The chair read a telegram of greeting from the Geological Society of 
France. Close of the morning session. 
Satiirdai/, Aug. 23 {Sept. 4), 1897. General A^aeinhlij. Afternoou 
Session. 3:30 p. ni. 
M. Gaudry presiding. 
M. Freeh made a communication on Continents and Paleozoic seas. 
M. Stefanescu spoke of the Dinotherium gigantissimum (Step.) found 
at Munzate, Roumania. MM. Deperet and Gaudry discussed the pa- 
per. M. Mayer-Eymar gave a succinct expose of the geological history, 
of the Mediterranean basin. He gave a sketch of the upper Tertiary 
stages and substages from the creation of the Mediterranean basin to 
the end of the Dertonian or upper Miocene age. He demonstrated that 
to the invasion of the Mediten-anean by the ocean and to the retreat of 
the sea are due the Dertonian, Messanian, Assian, Sicilian, and Sahari- 
an stages and their sub-stages. M. v. Koennen spoke of some strati- 
graphical relations in Hannover. M. Martin jjresented the Congress with 
a fasciculus of his work, "The fos.^jils of Java based on a collection of 
M. R. D. M. Verbeek." M. Blake read his memoir on "The distribu- 
tion of fossils not merely in zones, but also in provinces." Session 
closed. 
General Session, Sunday, Aug. 2i (Sept. 5), 1891. 
The last session on Sunday was what is called I believe in the B. A. 
A. S., "butter day" the day on which all the highnesses, municipali- 
ties, corporations, and individuals receive profuse thanks. On this day 
any doubtful question may be put through as the steering committee 
wishes in the general good humor and desire for harmony and for the ab • 
sence of every note of disaccord which prevail. At the single session 
presided over by M. Capellini all were profusely thanked. A resolution 
of M. Fi-azer expressing it as the desire of the Congress that the vol- 
ume of the proceedings of a given meeting should if possible be printed 
within two years of that meeting was unanimously adopted. 
The Congress agreed to accept the gift of 10,000 roubles from the fa- 
ther of young Stepniow, who died under such sad circumstances, the 
interest to be expended for prizes under the auspices of the Congress. 
This was in the judgment of the writer and of several other members of 
the Congress a very unwise proceeding although the circumstances of 
the gift made it very difficult to refuse it point blank, as the bereaved 
