338 The Americafi Geologist. May, 1899 
The Legislature of the State of Wisconsin has re- 
cently appropriated ten thousand dollars per year for two 
years to carry on the new "geological and natural history 
survey" of that state, of which Prof. A. E. Birge of the State 
University is director. 
New York Academy of Sciences. Section of Geology 
and Mineralogy, April 17. Dr. A. A. Julien presented a 
"Note on a Feldspar from the Calumet Copper mine, Kewee- 
naw point, Michigan," with specimens collected by him at 
the first opening of that mine. The wide distribution of the 
mineral was pointed out through both the Portage Lake and 
Ontonagon districts, as drusy linings of cavities in the 
amygdaloid and in crystals scattered through the cement of 
the copper conglomerate. The crystals were of simple type, 
a rhombic prism with orthodome modification on obtuse 
angles, but both faces and cleavage-planes were often dis- 
tinctly curved. By the complete analysis presented, it was 
identified as a normal orthoclase, with an unusually large 
proportion of protoxides in isomorphous replacement. These 
seemed to bear a relationship to the instability of the min- 
eral, indicated by its general decomposition ; to its remark- 
ably low specific gravity, 2.455 ! ^"^ possibly, in part, to the 
curvature of its planes. 
Prof. J. F. Kemp called attention to the unusual presence 
of cobalt oxide in a feldspar, shown in the analysis. 
Mr. E. O. Hovey gave a very interesting description with 
lantern illustrations, of "Geological and Mineralogical Notes 
gathered during a Collecting Trip in Russia," in connection 
with the excursions of the recent International Congress. 
Many of the lantern pictures were beautifully colored ; they 
referred in part to ethnographic observations ; and the ac- 
companying remarks awakened much interest. 
School of Mines, University of Minnesota. The an- 
nual trip of the graduating class to some of the mining dis- 
tricts will this year be to the lead and zinc mines at Joplin, 
Mo., and to the gold district of Cripple Creek, Colorado. 
The class will be accompanied by professors Appleb}-, 
Barneveld and Berkey, and will be absent about a month, 
leaving Minneapolis May ist. 
Prof. G. C. Swallow, who was for many years connected 
with the University of Missouri, and state geologist both of 
Missouri and of Kansas, died April 20, at Evanston, 111., aged 
82 years. 
Prof. John Collett, for many years state geologist of 
Indiana, died at Indianapolis, on March 15th, aged seventy- 
one years. 
