424 The American Geologist. June, isy7 
SiK Archibai.d Geikie's visit to America. 
The geologists of Anieriea luive had tlie opportunity during 
the last few weeks, of greeting Sir Archibald Geikie. F. R. S., 
D. 0. L., Director-General of the Geological Surveys of Great 
Britain and Ireland, who has visited this country upon the in- 
vitation of the trustees of the Johns Hopkins University to 
give a course of lectures at that institution. These lectures 
were provided for by the generosity of Mrs. George Hunting- 
ton Williams, who thus comnieiuorates her husband, late pro- 
fessor of inorganic geology in that university, who died in 
1894. The arrival C)f Sir Archibald Geikie in New York was 
marked by a reception which was extended to him upon Mon- 
day, April 19th, by the New York Academy of Sciences, in 
the American Museum of Natural History. Addresses of 
welcome were delivered by Profs. Stevenson, Kemp, and Heil- 
])rin, to which the distinguished visitor responded. 
On Wednesday, the 21st, Sir Archibald Geikie began his 
course of lectures at the Joluis Hopkins University upon"T/?e 
Founders of Geology,'''' which embraced a treatment of the rise 
of geological thought from the days of the cosmogonists down 
to the opening of the present era. The influence of the older 
geologists in the development of modern geology was present- 
ed in an entirely new light, as the result of the exhaustive 
researches of the lecturer. Although many attempts at writ- 
ing the history of geology have been hitherto made, the true 
significance of many of the earlier views and their first incor- 
poration in "the geology of the close of the past and the open- 
ing of the present century, had never been fully told. These 
lectures, which will appear in book form next fall, will add a 
volume of much importance to the geological treatises of the 
present day. 
Invitations were sent out by the Johns Hopkins University 
to the geologists throughout the country, more than fifty of 
whom were in attendance upon all or a portion of the course. 
Excursions were arranged in honor of Sir Archibald, under 
the auspices of the Maryland Geological Survey, by Prof. 
William B. Clark, the state geologist. The shorter excursions 
took place almost daily, during the season of the lectures, into 
the region adjacent to Baltimore, including a trip, as guests 
of the Secretary of the Navy, to the U. S. Naval Academy at 
Annapolis, where the Cretaceous and Tertiary geology of the 
Severn river was examined. 
After the close of the lectures a longer excursion, occupying 
four days, \yas undertaken by the entire party to examine the 
geological section presented by the state of Maryland. The 
state board of public works granted the use of the state ves- 
sel, "Governor McLane," while the presidents of the several 
railroads in the state offered free transportation to the partic- 
