The Geological Society of A))ierica. — Hovey. 89 
order, and their investigations were not confined to the state of 
Pennsylvania. Geology, however, was becoming too broad in its 
scope and its workers too numerous to be embraced by a local so- 
ciety, even though the list of correspondents was as large as that of 
the active members. In the Appalachian region of Massachusetts. 
New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia serious problems were en- 
countered which could not be solved within the boundaries of a single 
state, and a right understanding of the work done in one state was 
necessary to the correct understanding of the work done in the ad- 
joining state. Correspondence proved a failure, incidental or casual 
talks led to misunderstandings, systematic conference was necessary. 
with a generous contribution by each of his knowledge to the other. 
On April 2, 1840, as the result of a conference held in Albany in 
1839. eighteen geologists met at the Franklin Institute, Philadelphia, 
and organized +.he Association of American Geologists, with Prof. 
Edward Hitchcock as chairman. Those present were the state geo- 
logist of Massachusetts, six geologists of the New York survey, si.x 
of the Pennsylvania survey, two of the Michigan survey, and three 
not connected with anj^ public work. Mr. Martin H. Boye is the only 
survivor of the eighteen. The succeeding meetings in Philadelphia 
and Boston were attended by many geologists, of whom only Boye. 
O. P. Hubbard, and J. P. Lesley remain. A volume of the Asso- 
ciation's proceedings published in 1843 contains several papers which 
made a deep impression on American geology. Here are the five 
great memoirs on Appalachian conditions by the Rogers brothers. 
Hall's noteworthy discussion of the Mississippi basin section. Hitch- 
cock's elaborate discussion of the Drift, and many contributions by 
other members. Prof. Hall said on one occasion that the inspiriting 
efYect of these meetings could not be overestimated. As one of the 
youngest members, he was impressed by the mental power of those 
great men, all untrained in geology, except Taylor, whose educa- 
tion under William Smith, proved advantageous in many ways, but 
very disadvantageous in others, as it had provided him with a gen- 
erous stock of well set opinions. Though wholly self-taught, work- 
ing in a country sparsely settled, without borings, without railroad 
cuts, oil borings, mine .shafts, or any other of the advantages so 
necessary to us, those men elaborated systems, made broad gener- 
alizations, learned much regarding the succession of life, and dis- 
covered the keys which were, in later years, to open mysterious- re- 
cesses in European geology. The advantages of the union and per- 
sonal contact were so manifest that the following year (1841) the na- 
turalists applied for and gained admission to the association. 
In 1842 the first series of geological surveys practically came to 
an end and the geologists were scattered, many of the younger men 
being compelled to enter other callings. The Association of Geo- 
logists and Naturalists held its meetings regularly, but its strength 
diminished and. in 1848. it yielded to outside pressure, and became 
merged into the .American Association for the .\dvancemont of 
