Basic Eruptive Rocks. — MerriJJ. 55 
early to say. In the writer's opinion neither these nor the fact 
that up to date such rocks may have been found occurring only 
in dikes is alone of sufficient importance to warrant the introduc- 
tion of new names into a branch of science already over-l)urdened. 
We must not, however, lose sight of the fact that in addition to 
the above characteristics (which may or may not prove constant) 
we have here a peculiarly basic magma standing intermediate l^e- 
tween the diabases and peridotites, and which, as a plutonic rock, 
can be relegated to none of the older groups. As a convenient 
temporary term the name camptonite as given by Prof. Rosen- 
busch is perhaps as good as any. The fact that the dikes so far 
described, are in all cases extremely narrow — from 3 inches 
.to 5 feet — is, to say the least, interesting. That the structure 
of the rock is quite independent of the size of the dike is how- 
ever shown by the occurrence in the same vicinity of equally 
small dikes which are normal diabases in both composition and 
structure. 
It is to be noted that chemically the rocks might be considered 
as members of the monchiquite group, from which however they 
are excluded by the uniform presence of plagioclase feldspars.* 
The high percentage of magnesia, a necessary consequence of the 
abundant olivine, is also worthy of note as indicating a close 
chemical relationship with the peridotites. 
Thanks are due Mr. L. H. Merrill, chemist at the Maine ex- 
periment station, by whom many of the samples were collected 
and sections cut, as well as preliminar}^ analyses made. 
National Museum, April, 1892. 
In his inaugural address, before the Royal Society of Canada, 
the President, Abbe J. C. K. Laflamme,of Laval University, Quel)oc. 
gave an extended account of the life and labors of the late Dr. T. 
Sterry Hunt, who had Ijeen one of the meml)ers of the society from 
its inception. 
*Compare analysis ii above, with v as given by Prof. Rosenbuscli in 
Min. u. Pet, Mittheilungen vi, Heft, xi, 1890, p. 464. 
