Personal and Scientific News. 133 
Geological Society of Washington. At the meeting of 
December i6th Mr. C. Willard Hayes gave the presidential ad- 
dress; his subject was "Should there be a Federal Department 
of Mines?"' 
Dr. J. Morgan Clements, formerly of the University of 
Wisconsin and the U. S. Geological Survey, has opened an 
office as economic geologist and mining engineer in the Corn 
Exchange liank building, 1 1 William Street, Xew York City. 
(.Geological Society of Washington. At the meeting of 
January 13th the following program was presented: "Work of 
the Strassburg seismological congress," H. F. Reid ; "Experi- 
ment on the pollution ot deep wells in Georgia," M. L. Fuller; 
"Tin ores of the York region, Alaska." Arthur j. Collier. 
The Winter Course of I'^ree Lectures of the Chicago 
Academy of Sciences includes the following: "Flying Reptiles," 
Dr. Samuel W. Williston ; "Our southwestern Desert," Dr. 
Henry C. Cowles ; '"The Geological Time .Scale," Stuart Wel- 
ler; "The Mississippi valley Lead and Zinc districts," Dr. Ulys- 
ses S. (jrant. 
It is not very often that the geologi.st has occasion to 
make predictions with regard to the occurrence of valuable 
minerals. His function is ottener the less glorious one of fol- 
lowing the prospector, pass upon his reports, and to assist in the 
development of de])osits that are already partly known. So 
much the more notable are the instances when he makes predic- 
tions, based on the grounds of his own science, and when these 
turn out to be true. Dr. W. B. Phillips, the director of the 
Texas LTniversity Mineral Survey, has lately had the satisfac- 
tion of seeing such a prediction verified. Last fall, while in the 
country to the southeast of the Chisos mountains he noted the 
geological resemblance of this region and the Terlingua {|uick- 
silver district. There are the same Terranes and the same as- 
sociations of minerals in both ])laces. He expressed his belief 
that this territory would be found to have deposits of cinnabar. 
His prediction has just lately been verified by prospectors, who 
have visited the territory and returned with reports which sub- 
stantiate Dr. Phillips' prediction. j. a. v. 
Xew Mexico Academy of Sciences. The regular annual 
meeting of the Xew IMexico Academy of Sciences, held De- 
cember 28. at Santa Fe, was well attended and interesting pa- 
pers prt^sented. The geological part of the programme includ- 
ed the following: Presidential address by Tlon. Frank Spring- 
er on the Life of Louis .\gassiz ; Xote on Block mountains by 
Dr. Charles R. Keves : Xew rajiitl assay method for Zinc, by 
professor Francis C. Lincoln ; Glaciation in the high plateau of 
Bolivia, by professor W. ( j. Tight ; Revised Geological Column 
for Xew Mexico, by Dr. Chas. R. Keyes ; Xotes on some 
Xew Mexico minerals, bv Dr. Rufus M. I^agg: Some Trriga- 
