Personal and Scientific News. 399 
A CANOE TRIP DOWN THE YuKON UIVEK FUOM DawSON TO 
Anvik. Dr. Arthur Hollick, in giving the prdiniinary re- 
sults of his recent exploration, before the New York Academy 
of Science, Section of Geology and Mineralogy, said in brief: 
"The Yukon river occupies what was until quite recently 
a broad estuary. Subsequent elevation of the land resulted 
in the draining of the estuary and the formation of the present 
river valley, which has cut its way down through the estuary 
deposits, leaving these as broad benches or terraces. Mas- 
todon and otlier remai^is of extinct animals indicate the Ple- 
istocene age of the deposits. One of the finest exposures is 
at the 'Palisades,' just below Rampart. 
"The width of the river varies from one to ten miles, and 
the main channel is constantly shifting. It pursues a mean- 
dering course, sometimes impinging on one side of the old 
valley, sometimes on the other, and for long distances flows 
through the middle. Where it occupies the latter position, 
it is generally broad, with a current of about four miles per 
hour, and filled vrith innumerable wooded islands, mud flats 
and sand and gravel bars, which render navigation more or 
less a matter of guess-work, on account of the impossibility of 
telling where the main channel flows and the liability of run- 
ning into a blind slue or long circuitous channel around an 
island. It was often found advisable to climb up the river 
bank to a considerable elevation in order to determine, by 
means of an extended view, where the correct course lay. 
Where hard rocks were exposed along the river banks, or a 
short distance away, these were subjected to careful examin- 
ation in regard to their lithologic, paloentologic and strati- 
graphic characters. 
"Amongst the interesting results obtained were, ist, the 
determination of the Tertiary age of certain sandstones above 
Rampart : and 2nd. the determination of the Cretaceous age 
of other sandstones and shales further down the river in the 
vicinity of Nulato. At one locality, a unique fossil flora ^yas 
found, totally different from any heretofore known in America, 
consisting of cvcads of Lower Cretaceous types, mixed with 
angiosperms belonging to what have always been considered 
upper Cretaceous types. 
"Onlv a preliminarv studv has been made of the material 
collected, which \^ill eventually be carefullv examined and re- 
ported upon for the Ignited States Geolofricnl Survcv. 
"The paper was illustrated with about seventy lantern 
slides, showing the principal topographic and geologic fea- 
tures of the route." 
United States Geological Survey. 
Among the exhibits made by the Survey at St. Louis is a 
seties of chaits illustrating the origin of ore deposits. Of 
these charts those devoted to iron, copper and lead and zinc 
