266 The American Geologist. April, 1895 
autlior will prestMit :iiioIhi'r report jiiviiiji' more in detail (lie rejaiicjns in 
lime and stnicturc of tlu'se iyiieous rucks, lofielher with an analysis of 
the facts ill so far as rhey may have a beariiijr ui)on the question of 
mafimatic variations and the sccivienci' of volcanic erupt ions. .i. u. w. 
Eriilencc of Subsidenrc tnul Elerdfioii in Ehxcx coiuifi/ in nrmi (jcologicdl 
time, (IK .shoint fji/ Jieltl /rork ritt/iettea fi/i(H'e. By John II. Skaiis. (Bull. 
Essex Institute, vol. xvi, 18i)4, i)p. 13.) In thisi)apiM'. Mr. Sears notes the 
occurrence of stumps of forest trees covered by six to thirteen feet of 
water at Inch tide at Nahanl, by twelve or fourtei-n feet at low water 
on the Bexcrly sjiore. and instaiices of submeryi'd peat and leaf accu- 
mulations, to.irelher with the winus of water beetles and fragments of 
other living species. From a comparison of soundings made by the 
author in the summerof ISJM, with those made by Dr. Nathaniel Bow- 
ditch in 1801 and 180"), in Salem and INlarblehead harbor, it appears that 
there is an increase in depth of water amounting to from ^i to 2 feet. 
This conclusion is corroborated by recent work of tlie V. S. Hydro- 
graphic liureau in the same waters. From the accepted rateof subsid- 
ence—two fi'et a century — Mr. Sears concludes that the submerged 
forestsand jieal beds wiu-e flourishing from 1,000 to 1,"J00 years ago. 
Evidences of i)ostglacial elevation are obscure in this part of the 
country. Absence of drift and presence of waterworn hedges at eleva- 
tions from .lO to 150 feet above sea level are taken as evidence of old shore 
lines: but in another passage the author argues against the ab.sence of 
drift at these higher levels as proof of its removal by waves. Between 
25 and 100 feet above the present sea level are areas of sand similar to 
existing beaches, but they have afforded no remains of a marine fauna. 
Two photograi)hic re|)roductions showing submerged stumi)s and logs, 
at Pond beach, Nahant, and submerged peat with forest trees at ]Mingo"s 
beach, Beverly, accompany the report. .i. n. w. 
Geoloijical Stirrei/ of AlalxitiKt. licporl on the (holoyn of Ihc ('oaxtal 
Plain of Ahihdina. By Ei:ge.\k Atj-kn Smith. State (ieologist. Octavo, 
pp. 759, 2!) i)lates of vi(>ws and sections. Montgomery. 18!>4. This vol- 
ume i)ertains to the southwestern three-fifths of the state, known as the 
agricultural region. The rocks are Mesozoic and Neozoic, loosely con- 
solidated, gently dijjping, in general, seaward, rarely with elevations 
over 500 feet. In addition to a description of the geology proper two 
other parts are added, one on the jihosphates and marls, and one giving 
special descriptions of the counties of the Coastal plain. Tiie author has 
been assisted by K. .M. Cunninghamon the Diatomacea' of the Pleisto- 
cene and other microzoa; L. (". -lohnson, (jn the Lafayette formation: T. 
H. Aldrich on the paleontology of the Clayton; and Daniel W. i.angdon 
on the Tertiary and Cretaceous formations east of the Alabama ri\er. 
By far the greater portion of the volume is by the state geologist. .\ 
large part of the volume is made up of descriptive details, though ar- 
ranged systematically, and evinces laborious field work and careful con 
sideralion of piibiished literature. It is one of the most \(iluminous. as 
it is one of the most important, of the publications uf the pr.'seiit Ala- 
bama survey. k. h. w. 
