THE AECHEAN. 155 
a small majority in favor of attempting no division of the Archean 
at the present time, but inasmuch as some of tiiis majority favor 
to a greater or less degree the recognition of another division of 
Pre-Cambrian rocks, and tlie restriction of the word "Archean" 
to the lowest division of those rocks, the opinion in favor of ac- 
cepting some divisions of the Pre-Cambrian at the present time 
is about three to one. It would seem, therefore, to accord as 
nearly as possible with the views of the majority of American 
geologists to accept a twofold division of the Pre-Carabrian rocks, 
of which the lowest, crystalline and not certainly originally 
stratified, shall be called Archean, and the upper shall take some 
other name. 
It is, of course, understood that the twofold division will not 
necessarily interfere with a further subdivision of the measures, 
if our knowledge justify it; nor even with the existence of 
Norian, Arvonian, Huronian, Montalban, Keweenaw, Animikie, 
Grand Cailon, Uinta, Llano, or any other divisions which can be 
proved to the satisfaction of geologists to have more than a local 
value. In any case, proceeding cautiously in the creation of new 
divisions will be more likely to result in that unification of theory 
throughout the world which is the j)rincipal object of the Con- 
gress. 
The Congress on the second day voted, 1st, to call "all the' 
rocks preceding the Paleozoic," " Archean ; " 2d, that the " Arch- 
ean " should be considered a "group." If the suggestion of the 
Congress be carried out, Archean would become the general terra, 
including others of less extent. But if life in the portion of the 
Pi'e-Cambrian measures above the Laurentian be conceded, then 
one or more of these divisions will contain fossils, and the absence 
or presence of life will cease to be a characteristic distinguishing 
the lower grand divisions from each other. It seems to be the 
underlying, if not always expressed, thought of the majority of 
American geologists that this ought to be such distinguishing 
characteristic, and hence arise the various plans for subdividing 
these rocks. 
Since we cannot assign any absolute value to the divisions made 
for convenience of classification, there is no important difference 
between making the "Eo — ," " Agnoto-" or " Proterozoic" of equal 
rank with the other groups, or assigning to it a subordinate rank 
in the group of Pre-Cambrian strata. Its relative position would 
