54 The American Geologist. juiy. 1901. 
chiding' northern Russia, most of Siberia and the area south 
to the Black and Caspian seas and to L. Balkath to the extent of 
between 2,000 and 3,000 feet. All this area was, he thinks, 
below the surface of an inlet from the Arctic ocean at a date 
comparatively recent, well within the human era, and ap- 
proximately corresponding in time with the glacial era in other 
parts of the world. 
Should this depression and submergence, on further in- 
vestigation, prove to have really occurred it will be of some 
assistance in accounting for the absence of glacial phenomena 
over the great northern plains of vSiberia. Already has the sug- 
gestion been put forward, but the evidence alleged in its sup- 
port has not been conclusive. Nor indeed does that urged by 
nrofessor Wright amount to positive proof, even in the opinion 
of its author. The occurrence of enormous masses of loess 
near the plains where glacier-streams or glaciers issued from 
the vast central plateau is naturally to be expected and possi- 
blv the accumulation of this material in such places may be 
explained without requiring so extensive submergence. 
These are the places where it would naturally be dropped 
and the occurrence of sand or gravel or even pebbles is not 
inconsistent with this view. 
But on the other hand the absence of marine remains of 
every kind is opposed to marine origin of the loess. Possibly 
these may be found hereafter on more extensive examination, 
but until they come to light we must hold the subsidence and 
submergence theory lacking in its most valuable proof. To 
assume this absence would be premature. Siberia is an enor- 
mous area and its geology is little known. The future may 
reveal such fossils yet unknown. Thus far, however; we have 
no knowledge of their occurrence. And it would be scarcelv 
safe to assume a submergence so extensive on the evidence of 
"loess" alone. Granting a glacial era on the high, bleak and 
windy "Panier" the bordering valleys might well be filled with 
loess even to their upper levels. e. w. c. 
LABORATORY AND LECTURE METHODS IX GEOLOGY AT THE 
STATE UNLVERSITY OF IOWA. 
The country around Iowa City is thickly covered with 
drift and loess, and while it afifords excellent opportunities for 
the study of Pleistocene geology, illustrative material for 
