Part 1, 8vo., New Haven, 1866. Memoirs of the Boston Society of Natural

History, 4to., Vol. 1, Part 1, Boston, 1866. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, Nos. 2 and 3, 1866, 8vo., Phil., 1866. Proceedings of the Essex Institute, vol. 5, No. 1, 8vo., Salem, 1866. Proceedings of the Boston Society of Natural History, vol. 10, Sheets 4-23, 8vo., Boston, 1866. Annals of the Lyceum of Natural History of New York, vol. 8, Nos. 6-12, 8vo., New York, 1865-6. Proceedings of the Chicago Academy of Sciences, vol. 1, Sheets 1-3, 8vo., Chicago, 1866. Proceedings of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, vol. 7, 8vo., Boston, 1865-6. All the above were presented by the societies or authors named; and the foreign publications were received through the Smithsonian Institution.

Mr. Stearns exhibited specimens of _Petricola carditoides_ and _Pholadidea ovoidea_, in unusually hard serpentine, collected by himself at Fort Point, San Francisco.

Professor Whitney read some extracts from letters just received from Mr. Rémond, giving an account of his geological explorations in Peru and Chile. Mr. Rémond has obtained a suite of plants from the coal-bearing formation of Northern Chile, sufficient in number to fix its age as Triassic. Two species, one a _Pecopteris_, the other a _Pterophyllum_, are apparently identical with those found with the coal near Los Bronces, in Sonora, Mexico, by Mr. Rémond. Above the coal-bearing conglomerates and sandstones, there are stratified porphyries, and above these, fossiliferous limestones of Liassic age. The fossils in this last mentioned formation are, in general, similar to those found by Domeyko and Darwin, at Las Juntas and Tres Cruces; but Mr. Rémond obtained several new species. He also collected a large number of species in the Tertiaries of Coquimbo and Caldera. Farther, he obtained fossils in sufficient numbers from the rocks in which are the famous silver mines of Chañarcillo and Tres Puntas, to fix their age as belonging to the Lower Cretaceous.

Professor Whitney commented on the importance of these investigations, especially that concerning the age of the Chile coal. It is very interesting to know that the same formation carries coal in Chile which has been found to bear that indispensable material in Northern Mexico. The vast extent over which Triassic rocks occur in Arizona, New Mexico, and Nevada, gives a peculiar interest to every discovery of this kind.

REGULAR MEETING, DECEMBER 17TH, 1866.

President in the chair.

Twelve members present.

Dr. F. Hansen was elected a Resident Member.

Donation to the Cabinet: Skeleton of a Beaver, presented by Mr. S. Hubbard.

Donation to the Library: Ninety-six volumes and pamphlets chiefly on various branches of natural history, from the library of the late William Cooper, of New York, presented by J. G. Cooper, M.D.

ANNUAL MEETING, JANUARY 7TH, 1867.

Mr. Stearns in the chair.

Twenty-nine members present.

Dr. J. B. Trask was elected Life Member, and Dr. George D. Cleveland and Mr. George O. Whitney, Resident Members.

The Treasurer made a verbal Report. The Librarian and the Chairman of the Publication Committee made written reports, which were accepted and placed on file. The Curators of the various departments reported verbally. The Academy having moved twice during the past year, and the last time within a few days, the collections are of course in great disorder. The rooms now taken are those formerly occupied by the Academy, at 622 Clay street, and from which they were obliged to remove on account of the damage done to the building, by the earthquake of October 8th, 1865.

The following officers were elected for the year 1867:

PRESIDENT.

J. D. WHITNEY.

VICE PRESIDENTS.

LEANDER RANSOM. R. E. C. STEARNS.

TREASURER.

SAMUEL HUBBARD.

CORRESPONDING SEC’Y.

W. B. EWER.

RECORDING SEC’Y.

THEODORE BRADLEY.

LIBRARIAN.

H. KELLOGG, M.D.

CURATORS.

W. S. KEYES MINERALOGY. H. N. BOLANDER BOTANY. W. M. GABB PALÆONTOLOGY. E. F. LORQUIN ZOOLOGY. W. G. W. HARFORD CONCHOLOGY. H. BEHR, M.D. ENTOMOLOGY.

COMMITTEE ON FINANCE.

MESSRS. WHITNEY, HUBBARD, ASHBURNER, AND STEARNS.

COMMITTEE OF PUBLICATION.

MESSRS. WHITNEY, AYRES, AND STEARNS.

COMMITTEE ON THE LIBRARY.

MESSRS. JANIN, GIBBONS, AND KELLOGG.

COMMITTEE ON PROCEEDINGS.

MESSRS. KEYES, BOLANDER, AND BOSQUI.

Dr. Behr submitted specimens of microscopic crustaceans, of a brilliant red color, found upon the surface of a lake in Marin County; he remarked that they might be of some use in the arts, if they could be obtained in sufficient quantity.

REGULAR MEETING, JANUARY 21ST, 1867.

President in the Chair.

Twenty-three members present.

Governor R. C. McCormick, of Arizona, and R. C. Jacobs, of Chihuahua, were elected Corresponding Members, and Messrs. J. W. Kidwell, A. Sutro, A. T. Mason, H. C. Bidwell and H. P. Carlton were elected Resident Members.

Donations to the Library: Oversigt over det Kongelige danske Videnskabernes Selskabs Förhandlingar i Aaret 1864, 1 Vol., 8vo., Copenhagen. The same, 1866, Nos. 2-4. 32er Jahresbericht des Mannheimer Vereins für Naturkunde, 1 Vol. 12mo., 1866, (2 copies.) Mittheilungen aus dem Osterlande, 17er Band, 3 und 4 Heft, Altenburg, 1866. Jahreshefte des Naturwissenschaftlichen Vereins für das Fürstenthum Lüneburg, I., 1865, 8vo. Der Zoologische Garten, vii Jahrgang, Nos. 7, 9, 11, 12, 8vo., Frankfurt, 1866. Bericht über die XIV Versammlung der Deutschen Ornithologen-Gesells., 8vo., 1862. Sitzungs-Berichte der Naturw. Gesells. Isis in Dresden, Jahrg. 1866, 8vo., Dresden. Jahrbuch der k. k. Geolog. Reichsanstalt, Jahrg. 1866, No. 3, 8vo., Wien. Abhandlungen herausgegeben vom Naturw. Vereine zu Bremen, I Bd. 1 Heft, 8vo., Bremen, 1866. Journal de Conchyliologie, 3me Série, Tome vi., Nos. 3, 4, 8vo., Paris, 1866. On the Osteology and Myology of Colymbus Torquatus, by R. Elliot Coues, (Mem. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., Vol. 1, Part ii.) 4to., Cambridge, 1866. Journal of the Royal Hortic. Society of London, Vol. 1, Part 4, 12mo., 1867. Same, Proceedings, Vol. 1, N. S., No. 6, Aug., 1866, Jan., 1867, 12mo., London. Zeitschrift der Oesterreichischen Gesells. der Meteorologie, 1 Band, 1866. Sitzungsberichte der Königl. bayer. Akademie der Wissenschaften zu München, 1865, II, 3-4; 1866, I, 1-4; II, 1, 8vo., Munich. Die Bedeutung moderner Gradmessungen, von Bauernfeind, 4to., pamphlet, München, 1866. Verzeichniss von 9412, Æquatorial-Sternen, ein Sup. Band zu der Ann. der Münch. Sternwarte, 8vo., Munich, 1866. Resultate Magnetischer, etc., Beobachtungen auf einer Reise nach dem östlichen Sibirien 1828-30, von Prof. C. Hansteen and Lieut. Due, 4to., Christiania, 1863. Hansteen, Magnetismus der Erde, 1 Theil, 4to., Christiania, 1819, with plates separate. Meteorologiske Iagttagelser paa Christiania Observatorium, 1865, long 4to., Christiania, 1866. Mœrker efter en Jistid i Omegn af Hardangerfjorden, af S. A. Sexe, 4to., pamphlet, Christiania, 1866. Bidrag til Bygningskikkens Udvikling paa Landet i Norge, 1ste Hefte, 4to., pamphlet, Christiania, 1865.

Dr. Kellogg exhibited specimens of _Thaspium cordatum_, (Heart-leaf Meadow Parsnip) a plant which has become somewhat known in cases of chronic rheumatism, and which is common on this coast. He remarked that it might be mistaken for _Sanicula_, (Sanicle) or possibly for _Conium maculatum_ (Poison Hemlock).

Dr. Kellogg also presented specimens of a beautiful Alpine willow-herb collected by Mr. Blanchard, of Brooklyn, Alameda County; it was found in the mountains west of Owen’s Lake, near the Kearsarge mines, at an altitude of 8,000 feet. He considered it a variety of _Epilobium obcordatum_, Gray. This plant is described in the Proc. Am. Acad. of Arts and Sciences for May, 1865.

Dr. James Blake read the following communication:

On the Nourishment of the Fœtus in the Embiotocoid Fishes.

BY JAMES BLAKE, M.D., F.R.C.S.

I am not aware that the process by which the embryo of the Embiotocoid fishes receive the nourishment necessary for its growth, has ever been pointed out. It certainly differs from the three most common forms in which the embryo of other animals is nourished, as there is nothing like a placenta by which they can receive nourishment from the mother; there is no supply of nutriment surrounding the embryo, as in the case of most oviparous animals, nor is the embryo brought into direct contact with the water, so as to derive nourishment by absorption from the surrounding medium, as is the case in oviparous fishes generally and in most of the lower forms of animal life. The young fish is contained in a uterus which, in the undeveloped state, resembles very much the ovaries of the common oviparous fishes, except that its walls are thicker, and that the number of ova it contains is very much smaller. In the interior of the uterus, projecting from its sides, are a number of processes analogous to those to which the ova are usually attached. These processes vary in number in different examples, but they are so arranged that each fœtal fish is in contact on every side with a surface of one of these processes. They consist apparently of a membrane composed of a cellular tissue, and scattered over their surface are a number of small mammillary elevations with an orifice in the center, and which are probably the organs by which the peculiar secretion of the uterus, to be hereafter noticed, is poured out. In an example I examined, in which impregnation had apparently just taken place, numerous ova were found adhering to these processes, although not at all in such numbers as in the ordinary fishes. I counted thirty-eight in about the space of an inch; of these, however, but few can be developed, as the number of fœtuses seldom exceeds forty, and sometimes is only eight. In the whole of the uterus there probably were from one hundred to one hundred and fifty ova. Of the earlier stages of development, however, it is not my object to treat in the present memoir, as I did not commence my investigations sufficiently early to be able fully to make it out. As soon, however, as the embryo has advanced sufficiently for the fins to be formed, these appendages are found to be terminated by a number of digitations, which project from the free edges of the fin, and are usually found situated, one between each ray or spine. They are composed almost entirely of fine capillary blood-vessels, united apparently by a very delicate and structureless membrane. They are so delicate that unless great care is taken in removing the specimen from the uterus, they are destroyed; nor have I ever been able to discover them in specimens that have been preserved in alcohol. These processes seem continuous with the membrane extended between the rays of the fins, but are much more delicate; they project from the free edge of the fin, sometimes as much as the eighth of an inch, and are, in the fully developed embryo, the fifteenth of an inch broad. On the free margin of each digitation, a larger capillary can be observed, which appears to be continuous all around; it is about the .003 in. in diameter, the intermediate space being filled with a net-work of smaller capillaries. This system of digitations projects from the entire edge of the dorsal, ventral and caudal fins, but not from the pectorals. They in fact form a fringe round the entire body, with the exception of the head and that part of the abdomen in front of the anus.

Such is the structure of the organ that evidently has some connection with the nourishment of the fœtus, resembling as it does so closely the early formation of the vascular villi and the placental tufts that proceed from the chorion of the mammiferous embryo, and through which it derives its nourishment before the placenta is fully formed.

The question now presents itself as to how nourishment is conveyed from the parent to the fœtus through these tufts? As before stated, the lining membrane of the uterus sends off processes which surround each fœtus, without however forming sheet sacks; but although these processes are very freely supplied with blood-vessels, yet the finest injection failed to show any more vascular spots where the fœtal digitations might have been brought into more immediate contact with the blood of the parent. I however was fortunate enough to obtain a fish, in the uterus of which I discovered a considerable quantity of fluid, and on collecting it, and submitting it to chemical tests, I found that this fluid contained a considerable quantity of an animal substance, resembling, to a certain extent, some of the compounds that are formed from albumen during the process of digestion. The fluid was of yellowish color, translucent, deposited on standing some small globules which under the microscope strongly refracted the light, were not altered by acetic acid, but dissolved in ether; probably fat globules; when heated, there was no coagulation, although the fluid was not quite so clear; solution of Hg Cl₂ caused no precipitate; tannin in solution caused a yellowish precipitate. In adding ether to a portion of the fluid, there was a free disengagement of gas, a white flocculent precipitate was formed, and on allowing the vessel to stand, the fluid separated itself into three portions: the upper portion consisting of pure ether apparently, then a layer containing white flocculi, which occupied about the fourth part of the fluid, and below this the remains of the original fluid, but little altered in appearance. There can, I think, be little doubt but that it is through the medium of this fluid that the fœtus obtains its nourishment. The considerable portion of animal matter it contains, and that too in a state particularly fitted for absorption and for conversion into tissue, fits it for furnishing the fœtus with the elements necessary for its growth by absorption through the large surface of capillary vessels which are found in the vascular digitations that surround the fœtus, and which are constantly bathed in the fluid. The difficulty that up to the present time has attended every attempt to trace the connection between the parent and fœtus in these embiotocoid fishes, is owing, in the first place, to the extreme delicacy of the vascular digitations of the fœtus, which prevents their being observed in preserved specimens, and also to the fact that in almost every case the fluid secreted by the uterus is entirely expelled by the violent struggles of the fish when removed from the water, so that it was almost by a rare accident that I succeeded in obtaining any. I hope, however, during the coming season, to be able more fully to carry out these researches.

SAN FRANCISCO, January 21st, 1867.

Mr. Bolander exhibited the cones of many species of pines growing in this State, and stated what was known concerning the peculiarities of the different species, and their geographical distribution.

He stated that the pines of California comprise sixteen true species, which he described briefly. There are twenty synonyms for these species, which have created some confusion as to their real name and number. The correct names of all, with the popular characteristics of the most striking, and their distribution, are given herewith. The names marked thus * are those of trees having persistent cones, which they retain from ten to twenty years in some instances. Those marked thus † retain their cones but two years. Those marked thus ‡ retain them but one year:

_Pinus insignis._*—Well known as the ornamental Monterey pine, which is much cultivated in San Francisco.

_P. muricata._*—Not remarkable.

_P. contorta._*—Small and bushy, but valuable as shelter against wind. Grows abundantly near Fort Bragg, in the Mendocino country, where it makes the stoutest wind-proof hedge known. Ought to be tried in San Francisco.

_P. tuberculata._*—Always small, seldom higher than 15 to 30 feet.

_P. ponderosa._‡—The well known yellow pine. Attains a height of 225 feet and more, and a circumference of 23 or 24 feet.

_P. Lambertiana._*—The equally well known, larger and handsome “sugar pine,” or “long-cone pine” of Frémont. Usually grows at great altitudes; exceedingly valuable for timber, and affords the principal supplies.

_P. Coulteri._†—Found in the lower eastern slope of the Coast Range. Not very large; sometimes attains a height of 75 feet; knotty, but ornamental. It is remarkable for having the largest cone of all the pines, and specimens of its cone, when first known, brought five guineas in England.

_P. Sabiniana._†—This is the nut pine of the foothills, sometimes called the “scrub pine,” or “silver pine.” The Digger Indians gather the nuts from its cone as a favorite article of food. It is found on the foothills of both Coast Ranges and Sierra Nevada.

Mr. Bolander mentioned several species in the group of coast pines which he had not seen, viz: _P. Llaveana_, east of San Diego; _P. deflexa_, on the summit of the California Mountains; _P. Torreyana_,* near San Diego.

_P. monticola._‡—A tall tree and affording fine timber; said to be hardier than the sugar pine, and might be preferred if its position near the summit did not make it difficult of access.

_P. flexilis._‡—This grows on windy heights in the form of a low shrub, so stout and thick that a man can stand on its top. In low altitudes it reaches a height of a hundred feet. It is useful only for firewood.

_P. monophylla._—This is a stunted, twisted tree, which grows on the eastern slope of the Sierra, where it corresponds to the nut-pine on the western slope. At a distance it resembles in shape the live oak. Its cone is ill shapen and has an offensive odor, but yields a sweet nut.

_P. Balfouriana._—This species is found near Scott’s Valley, in Northern California.

Five species in the above list—_insignis_, _muricata_, _Llaveana_, _deflexa_ and _Torreyana_—are peculiar to the sea coast. Five species—the _contorta_, _ponderosa_, _Lambertiana_, _Sabiniana_, _tuberculata_—are found both in the Coast Ranges and Sierra Nevada. The _Coulteri_ is found only in the Coast Range, eastern slope; the _monticola_ only high in the Sierra; the _flexilis_ only on the upper Sierra and western slope of the same; and the _monophylla_ only on the eastern slope.

REGULAR MEETING, FEBRUARY 4TH, 1867.

President in the Chair.

Twenty-eight members present.

Messrs. Joseph P. LeCount, C. Von Liebenau, Amory F. Bell, W. C. Walker, George H. Powers, Thomas Bennett, M.D., L. Gilson, Delos J. Howe, R. S. Williamson, U. S. Engineers, R. D’Heureuse, Rev. John F. Harrington, H. C. Hyde, G. B. Hitchcock and Jacob Bacon were elected Resident Members.

Donations to Library: Review of the Mining, Agricultural and Commercial Interests of the Pacific States, from J. H. Carmany. Essai Politique sur la Nouvelle Espagne, by A. de Humboldt, 2 Vols., 4to., and atlas folio, Paris, 1811, presented by A. Sutro.

Professor Whitney read the following communication:

On the Fresh Water Infusorial Deposits of the Pacific Coast, and their Connection with the Volcanic Rocks.

BY J. D. WHITNEY.

The microscopic discoveries of the last few years have immensely extended the range and importance of the minute, and, to the naked eye, invisible organisms, which, under the general designation of “Infusoria,” are recognized as a part of the kingdom of nature. It is especially to Ehrenberg that we are indebted for a demonstration of the geological importance of the Diatoms, those microscopic organisms which so long puzzled naturalists to decide whether they were animal or vegetable in their nature, but which are now, by the majority of zoölogists, referred to as plants. In Ehrenberg’s great work, the “Mikrogeologie,” or geology in little, this eminent naturalist has given the results of the examination, by himself, of specimens of infusorial rocks, soils, ashes, dust, and other accumulations or masses of matter from every quarter of the globe: these investigations show most conclusively that deposits of vast extent—of such magnitude, indeed, as to form no inconsiderable portion of the earth’s crust—are the result of organic agencies, and that what seems to the eye an unorganized mass, may in reality be made up of the delicately wrought and almost infinitely minute remains of plant or animal life.

That animals, or plants, so minute that a hundred millions of distinct individuals will scarcely weigh a single grain, should form accumulations hundreds of feet in thickness and extending over thousands of square miles, seems a hardly credible statement; but a fact still more difficult to believe and comprehend is one which is thoroughly established by abundant evidence, namely: that immense deposits of volcanic materials, or, at least, of materials closely connected in their origin and nature with volcanic action, and spread over vast tracts of country in different parts of the world, are also, to a large extent, made up of these microscopic organisms, the existence of which seems dependent on the presence of water, and so utterly at variance with a condition of volcanic activity.

Throughout this volcanic region of California, Oregon, Nevada, and probably as far north as the igneous masses extend, which are well known to cover a vast area on the western side of our continent, there are found deposits, which are usually called “fire-clay,” “kaolin,” “pipe-clay,” or simply “clay;”[30] these masses are, however, not at all of the nature of kaolin, nor are they proper clay, although they may, in places, pass into clay or shale.

The material of which this deposit is made up is exceedingly fine-grained, seemingly an impalpable powder, usually perfectly white and more or less distinctly stratified. It is extremely light, and resembles commercial magnesia more than anything else. In its geological position, it is found underlying the basaltic masses, or the products of the last great eruptive action of the Sierra Nevada. It is often associated with, or intercalated among beds of gravel, fine or coarse-grained sandstone and shales, and bears the evident marks of being a sedimentary deposit made along the sides of a gently-descending broad valley, or lake-like expansion of a valley. This is its character in the Sierra Nevada; but as we go north and northeast, and come on to the great volcanic table lands of Northern California and Southern and Eastern Oregon, we find the thickness of the deposits of this kind of material increasing, and the area occupied by them more considerable. The following localities are especially worthy of notice: North of Virginia City, Nevada; Surprise Valley; Pit River, near mouth of Canoe Creek; Klamath Basin, or in the vicinity of Wright, Rhett and Klamath Lakes; the Des Chutes Basin.

Of all the localities, the last mentioned would seem to be the most remarkable for the extent and thickness of the deposits in question. It was from here that the first specimens examined by Ehrenberg, in 1849, were brought by Frémont, who represented the deposit as 500 feet thick. This region has since been examined by Dr. Newberry, who describes the cañons of the tributaries of the Des Chutes as in places 2,000 feet deep, the plateaux between which cañons are covered by basaltic lava, and this is seen, in the magnificent sections thus presented, to rest on a thickness of hundreds of feet of tufaceous strata interstratified with a variety of beds of volcanic conglomerates, pumice sand, ashes, etc. Dr. Newberry speaks of tufaceous strata 1,200 feet in thickness, in the cañon near the mouth of the Mptolyas River.

The white material, of which some of the more prominent localities have been indicated above, and which is well known to explorers under so many names, as already mentioned, is in reality chiefly of a silicious character, and made up, to a large extent, of organic bodies of microscopic dimensions, infusoria, or _Diatomaceæ_. This fact was first recognized in the case of the specimens collected by Frémont on the Des Chutes River, and examined by Bailey and Ehrenberg. Specimens collected by Dr. Newberry, on the Pacific Railroad Survey, were also examined by Professor Bailey, but I am not aware that any detailed description of the results was ever published.

Among the collection of the Geological Survey are a large number of specimens of the white infusorial deposit, underlying the lava at various localities. Of these a preliminary examination has been made by Professor Brewer, and a large supply of material is now in the hands of Mr. A. M. Edwards, of New York, for a detailed examination and report. The fact has been already well demonstrated that all or nearly all these fine, white, light masses are made up, to a large extent, of the silicious remains of the _diatomaceæ_, and in all cases of forms peculiar to fresh water. The geological position of these beds is extremely recent. They extend from the latter portion of the Pliocene into the Post-pliocene epoch, and seem to have continued their existence nearly, if not quite, down to the present day.

So far the facts are very simple, and the principal results of our detailed microscopic examination of these infusorial deposits will be, the knowledge of the range of the different species which occur in them, and the relations of the various forms to those now living, either in this region or in other parts of the world. This the extent of our collections will give us better opportunities to do than others have yet had.

There is a point, however, of great interest connected with these deposits, in regard to which I desire to make some remarks at this present time, and on which I consider that our explorations are capable of throwing some light.

Ehrenberg has recently[31] examined a specimen collected many years ago, in the Toluca Valley, Mexico, by the well-known mining engineer Burkart, of what he denominates a “Phytolitharien Tuff” or phytolithic tufa, and which came to him labeled “Trachytic Tufa, from Toluca Valley, _quere_, whether pumice-like or infusorial.” Of this, Ehrenberg says: “It is a silver-gray, easily crumbled, gritty tufa, which does not effervesce with acids, and which, when heated, becomes darker, but not black, and then assumes a light-brownish color.” The microscopic analysis of it showed that it was made up to a large extent of phytolitharia, which probably belong chiefly to the grasses, and between them lie scattered a comparatively small number of bacillaria. All are fresh-water forms.

In his remarks on this material, Ehrenberg recalls the other specimens of infusorial tufas, which have been examined by him, at various times, since 1839. He mentions particularly the rock from the Des Chutes River, collected by Frémont; also trachytic tufa, with organic remains, from Honduras; trachytic tufa from the volcano Maibu, in Chile; the mud-ejections (?) of the volcanoes near Quito; the ejections (?) of the volcano Imbabaru, as well as those from the island of Guadaloupe.

In regard to the Des Chutes River deposit, it may be incidentally remarked that the eminent microscopist seems to assign to it a much greater geological age than it really deserves; it is, unquestionably, as recent as the latter part of the Pliocene.

It would appear from what Ehrenberg has published, that he considers this occurrence of organic forms, in connection with reputed volcanic masses, to be something extremely difficult to explain, as indeed it is, if we adopt the view taken by him, namely, that these so-called tufaceous materials are the direct products of volcanic action; that is to say, that they have been ejected from craters, either in the form of showers of ashes or of mud out-flows. It would be, indeed, to my comprehension, something entirely inexplicable, that such vast masses of matter, made up to a large extent of organic forms, should be poured forth from the interior of the earth. This would be the case, as it appears to me, no matter what theory of volcanic action one might choose to adopt; since, whatever may be the cause, no one will deny that a high temperature is, at least, one of the results. That Ehrenberg really considers these infusorial deposits to be of eruptive origin, is evident from a remark in his last communication, (that in reference to the specimen from the Toluca Valley) to the effect that the occurrence of fresh-water forms, exclusively, in these infusorial masses is evidence that volcanic phenomena are not dependent on, or connected with, the presence of sea-water, as is generally supposed, from the fact that volcanoes are situated, in most cases, near the sea coast.

Not having the necessary works of reference at hand to be able to see, in all the cases cited by Ehrenberg, exactly what the evidence is, on which his theory of the origin of these infusorial deposits is founded, I will not attempt to give an authoritative statement in regard to any others than those which belong to this coast; but I cannot avoid drawing the inference, that the same conditions which are so easily traced here will, on future examination, be found existing in all the other localities cited by him.

The mode of occurrence of these fresh-water infusorial deposits in California, and on the Pacific coast in general, is very simple. They are accumulations of organisms which have been collected at the bottom of the lakes, or in the lake-like shallow expansions of rivers, in which they grew. This growth took place at a time when volcanic agencies were busily at work, giving rise to accumulations of ashes, pumice, and other materials. The rapidity with which these infusorial deposits form, at the present time even, the vast extent over which they are distributed, and the general importance in the geological history of the earth, are now matters which are well understood, of the masses thus accumulated and in regard to which the store of facts has been rapidly growing in magnitude during the past few years. The mud deposits and deltas of rivers, the bottoms of lakes and swamps, and the bed of the ocean itself, are the repositories of these forms. Heat and stagnant water seem to be what is required for their rapid reproduction and the consequent rapid accumulation of their remains.

The infusorial deposits of Central California—I refer now to those of fresh water origin, and connected with volcanic masses—are all situated in such positions as to show, that they were formed and deposited in shallow water; that, through the various alternations of calm and convulsion in the Sierra, they were at one time allowed to accumulate in quiet, then swept over by masses of gravel and sand, indicating a furious rush of water, then covered with a shower of ashes and pumice from the neighboring volcanoes of the Sierra then in active operation; and finally, at the grand finale of the basaltic lava overflow of the chain, capped with this indestructible material, which has effectually prevented the washing away of the otherwise easily removed infusorial deposits. This is the connection between the volcanic and the infusorial masses; by their absolute indestructibility the former have protected the latter from denudation, and consequently we see them always accompanying each other: for where the cover did not exist, there the denuding forces have swept away every vestige of the soft and easily yielding material, or else it remains concealed under the water. To form an idea of the extent of the erosion which has taken place since these infusorial beds were deposited, and the consequent change in the configuration of the country, we must bear in mind that the whole of the present river cañons on the west slope of the Sierra have been excavated since that time, and that, in many places, the strata have been removed to a vertical depth of between two and three thousand feet.

Everything shows that the surface covered by fresh water in the region east of the crest of the Sierra was, at a not very distant epoch, much greater in extent than it now is. There existed, probably during or immediately after the glacial epoch, a chain of great lakes occupying a large portion of the country from Walker’s Lake to the Des Chutes River, a distance of about four hundred miles, and extending over a breadth of not less than one hundred. A large portion of this region is now a volcanic plateau; and, where cut into by the force of running water, the deposits of infusorial strata may be seen, sometimes thin and unimportant, but often of great thickness. Observations and measurements of terraces and determination of the altitude of all these old lake deposits will enable us at some future time to indicate on the map the area once occupied by this great chain of inland seas. The vast extent of the lacustrine infusorial formations on the east side of the Sierra is thus accounted for, as well as the comparatively small area which they cover on the western slope.

In addition to the stratigraphical reason given above why the infusorial strata should occur connected with eruptive masses, there may be a chemical one which shall, in part, account for the apparent great development of the _diatomaceæ_ in volcanic regions. These organisms require an amount of silica, infinitesimally small for each individual, but in reality enormous for the number of organisms required to develop themselves over the vast area and with the thickness which they occupy. That a volcanic region should supply a larger amount of silica in the state in which it can be appropriated by the _diatomaceæ_, is extremely probable. We know that silicification of all organic matters occurring in these volcanic regions of our coast proceeds with the greatest rapidity, and has taken place on an extensive scale. The thermal springs contain a great amount of free silica, and it is in the vicinity of such springs that large infusorial deposits are frequently found. It seems that it could only be in regions particularly favorable for the secretion of their silicious coverings, that these infusoria could be accumulated with such rapidity as to form what may be called, without exaggeration, mountain masses. It is also possible that temperature may have something to do with this rapid development, and that volcanic regions may on this account be favorable to it.

To my apprehension, the phenomena of infusorial deposits in connection with volcanic masses admit of an easy explanation on this coast, at least; and I can hardly believe that any of the localities of _diatomaceæ_, if closely examined, would present any such difficulties as to make the assumption necessary that they have been ejected from the interior of the earth. In cases where infusoria seem to have been actually ejected from craters, as is said to have been the case in some of the South American volcanoes, it is not difficult to understand that an ancient crater may have become filled up and temporarily converted into a lake; and that, after the growth and deposition of an infusorial deposit at the bottom, a new eruption may have broken out in the same place as a previous one, or in its immediate neighborhood. In such a case, among the ejected material, a large quantity of the infusoria would be found mingled with the ashes, which must pass through the material collected in the bottom of the crater as they rise from the interior of the earth. The bursting of lakes at the bases of volcanic cones, caused by the rapid melting of the snows above them, have often given rise to torrents of volcanic mud, called “Moya” in South America, in which both animal and vegetable remains are often inclosed in great quantity; but the connection between the organic and inorganic phenomena, in such cases, is perfectly evident.

In fact, I see no reason for suspecting any connection between the infusorial deposits and the volcanic masses of this coast, or of any other part of the world, which should influence the geologist in forming an opinion with regard to the cause or the locality of volcanic action.

In conclusion, it may be remarked that the marine infusorial rocks of the Pacific coast, and especially of California, are of great extent and importance. They occur in the Coast Ranges, from Clear Lake to Los Angeles. They are of no little economical, as well as scientific, interest; since, as I conceive, the existence of bituminous materials in this State, in all their forms, from the most liquid to the most dense, is due to the presence of infusoria—the proofs of which statement I will, at some future time, endeavor to set before the Academy.

[30] They are also frequently called “magnesia,” and have been repeatedly stated by “assayers” in San Francisco to be made up of that earth.

[31] See Monatsbericht der Kön. Preuss. Akad. zu Berlin, 1866, page 158.

Dr. Kellogg read a paper on “Fungi,” in which he gave a full account of their nature, distribution, and uses.

Mr. Lorquin exhibited two ducks, and made some remarks in regard to them. One of them he considered a hybrid between the Pintail and the Mallard, and the other between the Pintail and the Teal.

Mr. Falkenau gave an account of the chemical reactions of the red matter exhibited by Dr. Behr to the Academy, at the meeting of January 7th. The quantity was too small for a satisfactory result.

Dr. Stivers made some remarks on the _Nereocystes Lütkeana_, one of the Algæ, and remarkable for its absorptive power.

REGULAR MEETING, FEBRUARY 18TH, 1867.

President in the Chair.

Twenty-five members present.

Messrs. I. W. Raymond, Rodmond Gibbons, Thomas H. Selby, Daniel Knight, F. A. Holman, M. D., Edmund Scott, Henry Edwards, John Melville, George Daly, Robinson Gibbons, Gregory Yale, James Howden, George H. Fillmore, Marshall Hastings, John L. Eckley and Lee J. Ransom were elected Resident Members, and J. G. Cooper, M.D., a Life Member.

Donation to the Cabinet: A skull of a California Indian, taken from a burial place in Alameda County, near Centreville, by Mr. L. G. Yates.

Donation to the Library: The Pacific Medical and Surgical Journal for 1865 and 1866, by Dr. H. Gibbons.

Prof. W. P. Blake read the following communication:

Notice of Fossil Elephants’ Teeth from the Northwest Coast.

BY W. P. BLAKE.

The two molar teeth of the extinct elephant which I exhibit this evening were presented to me by Col. Bulkley, Superintendent of the American and Russian Telegraph. One is from the mouth of the Yukon River, and the other from St. Paul’s Island, near the middle of Behring’s Sea. The remains of elephants are abundant in both places. Tusks are sometimes found, and one has been sent by Col. Bulkley to the Smithsonian Institution. These new localities may be regarded as forming a connecting link between those of Siberia and America, and indicate the former continuous distribution of the ancient elephant upon the two continents.

The following list of localities, known to me, of similar fossils in California, will show that the elephant must have been frequently seen here in very early times: At Mare Island; in Placer County, near Forest Hill; in Tuolumne County, at Columbia, Shaw’s Flat, Texas Flat and near Sonora; in Calaveras County, at Knight’s Ferry; in Los Angeles County, at San Pedro. The last is, I believe, the most southern point at which such remains have been found in this State.

Mr. Falkenau read a paper on Peat, in which he gave an account of the origin, distribution and uses of this material. In the discussion which followed the reading of this communication, it was stated by Mr. Bolander that no valuable beds of peat had yet been discovered on this coast. Messrs. Keyes and Behr also commented on supposed discoveries of this material in California. The peculiar climate of this region was noticed as unfavorable to the development of this material.

Dr. H. Gibbon made some remarks on the simultaneity of storms on both sides of this continent.

Prof. Whitney made some remarks supplementary to his communication to the Academy in 1862, on the question—“Which is the highest mountain in the United States, and which in North America?”

He remarked that but little had been done, outside of California, during the last five years, towards improving our knowledge of the topography of the western part of our continent. Some valuable contributions to the physical geography of the central portion of the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains, have been published by Drs. C. C. Parry and Engelmann in the Transactions of the St. Louis Academy, (1863 and 1866) and several peaks were measured by Dr. Parry; but of these only two are located on any map, namely: Long’s and Pike’s. Of these Long’s Peak is 13,456 feet, and Pike’s, 14,215; this latter being the highest summit in the Rocky Mountain range, at least within the borders of our own territory. Of the continuation of the Rocky Mountains north into British Columbia, but little is known. Some peaks are said to be 16,000 feet and over in height; but it is believed that no accurate measurements have been made in that region; and, further, it is not at all in accordance with what we have learned of the relation of peaks to passes in other mountain chains, to suppose that when the passes are as low as 5,000 feet, the mountains on either hand should rise to an altitude of 16,000 feet. This would be more probable were the high points volcanic cones; but this they are not supposed to be. Lord Milton and Dr. Cheadle’s book, recently published, gives no information as to the height of the peaks near the pass traversed by their party, (the Leather Head Pass) except a statement that one point, far exceeding all others in elevation, was “from 10,000 to 15,000 feet high.”

Professor Whitney referred again to the fact that the height of Mt. St. Elias, as given on the British Admiralty charts, and probably from Sir Edward Belcher’s measurement, namely, 14,970 feet, was still ignored by all compilers of gazetteers and geographies, even down to Ansted’s latest work, published in 1867. The old figures, 17,854 feet, obtained from an old Spanish document found in Mexico by Humboldt, have been shown to be grossly exaggerated by two separate measurements of more modern times.

The recent measurement of Mt. Hood by Mr. A. Wood, was mentioned, and several reasons given why little weight should be attached to it. If Mr. Wood’s measurement were correct, the height of Mt. Hood must be nearly 4,000 feet greater than that of Mt. Shasta, and so notable a fact would have been clearly recognized by explorers, as it always has been that Mt. Shasta itself is nearly that much higher than Lassen’s Peak. But, on the other hand, experienced observers have stated that Mt. Hood was not as high as Mt. Shasta, nor as Mt. Adams, or Mt. Rainier, this last-named peak being, according to Wilkes, only 12,300 feet. Again, Mt. Hood was roughly measured by Dr. Vansant, and his result (11,934 feet) gives the height of that mountain as less than that of Mt. Adams, also measured by him with the same instrument, and this instrument could hardly have been so rough and liable to error as the one employed by Mr. Wood. Further, this last-named gentleman gives the limit of forest vegetation on Mt. Hood as 9,000 feet, while our careful observations on Mt. Shasta place it on that mountain, at 8,000 feet. It is certainly contrary to what we have everywhere on this coast observed, to suppose that the limit to which arboreal growth reaches, should not fall considerably in going north three hundred miles, rather than rise 1,000 feet, as would be the case if Mr. Wood’s measurements were correct. Finally, that Mr. Wood’s figures are not very reliable is shown by the fact, that on plotting his estimates of distances traveled and the angles of the slopes as given by him, it was found that, to correspond with his statements, the mountain must be no less than 33,400 feet high.

Finally, Professor Whitney concluded that we have as yet no satisfactory evidence to invalidate the statement previously made by him, that we have in California the highest mountains in the United States, and the grandest and largest mountain mass in North America, although one or two of the volcanic cones of Mexico rise to higher altitudes than any of our peaks.

Prof. Whitney also exhibited one of the short barometers made for the Geological Survey, by James Green, of New York. Having had occasion to work at high elevations—the party being sometimes, for weeks together, camped at from 8,000 to 10,000 feet above the sea—it has been found that the vacuum in the ordinary barometer tubes soon becomes deteriorated, and the mercury dirty from the constant lowering and raising of the column, which is required when a large number of observations are taken at so great an elevation. By having the barometer tube made only long enough to commence the reading at about twenty-four inches, or at an elevation of 6,000 or 7,000 feet, the difficulty above specified is to a great degree avoided, and the instrument made much more portable and convenient to carry, especially on peaks so steep that both hands are needed to aid in climbing. Two of these short barometers have been used in the high mountain work of the California Survey, and found extremely convenient. Of course the short barometer must be compared with a long one at some station camp of sufficiently great elevation to allow this to be done.

Dr. Gibbons made some remarks on the inferior quality of the macadamizing material employed in this city. He inquired if any person knew of the existence of any better stone for this purpose, in the vicinity of San Francisco. Prof. Whitney replied that an excellent basaltic rock was to be had in great abundance near Petaluma, at a point convenient for shipment, and that there was no really valuable rock for macadamizing to be had nearer than this point.

REGULAR MEETING, MARCH 4TH, 1867.

President in the Chair.

Twenty-nine members present.

Messrs. J. M. Sibley, William Norris, Henry Pickel, John W. Nystrom, Ross E. Brown, Cornelius B. Miller and Theodore P. Painter were elected Resident Members.

Donations to the Cabinet: “Electro-Silicon,” (Infusorial Silica) from Six-Mile Cañon, near Virginia City, Nevada, from Dr. Lanszweert; Fossil Fruit, from Long Valley, Mendocino County, from C. Beottie; Fossil Shells, from the line of the Erie (Steuben County, N. Y.) Railroad, by A. T. Beardsley; Magnesium Wire, by C. Z. Wilson; Fragment from the “Pyramid of Cheops,” by Mr. Elliott; Two Specimens of Petrified Wood, from Sonoma County, Package of Coffee Seed and Specimen of Nest of Trap-Door Spider, from Dr. Kellogg.

Prof. Whitney announced the death of Alexander Dallas Bache, and read a notice of his life and eminent scientific services.

Mr. Stearns read the following communication, prefacing it with some remarks on the hibernation and æstivation of land shells:

Remarkable Instance of Vitality in a Snail.

In that invaluable work to the conchological student, entitled “Recent and Fossil Shells,” by S. P. Woodward, pp. 18 and 19, reference is made to certain genera and species of land shells, and several instances are cited proving the remarkable vitality of these comparatively insignificant animals, and their ability to exist for great lengths of time without food.

Particular mention is made of a specimen of the snail _Helix desertorum_, which was affixed to a tablet in the British Museum, March 25th, 1846, and upon the 7th of March, 1850, it was observed that the animal must have come out of the shell, as the paper was discolored in the attempt to get away, but finding escape impossible, it had withdrawn inside of the shell and closed the aperture with the usual glistening film, which led to its immersion in tepid water and marvelous recovery. It will be noticed that this period embraced nearly four years.

A more remarkable case has come under my observation, which is worthy of mention.

Dr. Veatch, a member of this Academy, visited Cerros or Cedros Island, opposite the west coast of Lower California, and upon his return, in the year 1859, brought home, among other shells, a species of Helix, supposed to be new, described by Dr. Newcomb, of Oakland, and to which the latter gave the name of _Helix Veatchii_; many specimens of this species were obtained, and some of them were given by Dr. Veatch to the late Thomas Bridges. Mr. Bridges died in September, 1865, and in December of the same year a portion of his collection passed into my hands, including the same specimens of _Helix Veatchii_ to which I have before alluded. Judge of my surprise, when one day, upon a careful examination, I detected a living specimen, which, after being placed in a box of moist earth, in a short time commenced crawling about, apparently as well as ever. Fearing from its activity that by some accident it might crawl away, and I might thus lose it, after a fortnight’s furlough from its long imprisonment, I placed it in a pill-box, marking the date of its reimprisonment upon the cover, in order that at some future time I may examine it, and ascertain possibly, if it does not outlive _me_, how long a snail can live without rations.

Here is an instance of a snail living at least six years—in Californian parlance, without a single “square meal.”

Mr. Bolander made some remarks in regard to the botanical collections of Mr. Alphonso Wood, in California and Oregon, in 1866.

Mr. Wood claims to have collected in five months, in California, 1,490 species of flowering plants, as appears by a letter over his own signature in the San Francisco Bulletin; furthermore, he also asserts, that during his whole journey in California and Oregon he collected 15,000 specimens, representing 2,794 species of plants. This journey occupied about eleven months, including the time spent in coming from and returning to the East. The route of Mr. Wood was from San Diego north, through the regions which have been most thoroughly collected over and studied by botanists, namely, along the stage road to Los Angeles and San Bernardino, then to San Louis Obispo, Santa Cruz, and north through the Sacramento Valley, past the base of Mount Shasta, and along the stage road to the Columbia River. Mr. Bolander considered it probable that there were not over 500 species of flowering plants actually existing in that part of California explored by Mr. Wood, and in which he professes to have collected 1,490 species. According to Professor Brewer’s careful investigations, it appears that over fifty botanists have collected in California and Oregon, during a period extending back for more than seventy years. Some of these collectors were engaged for years in the business, and had far greater facilities at their command than those enjoyed by Mr. Wood, and they have jointly thoroughly explored a far greater area than that even hastily passed over by him. Yet, the sum total of all the species obtained, up to the time of Mr. Wood’s visit, is only about 1,800 species, while he claims to have found 2,794; that is to say, nearly 1,000 species more than had been brought to light by fifty persons in seventy years. The absurdity of Mr. Wood’s claims is self-evident. But, a comparison of his figures with those of Eastern botanists will throw still further light on this subject. Professor Gray enumerates, in his manual, only 2,426 species of plants as occurring in the eighteen Northern United States and Canada East, embracing an area of no less than 600,000 square miles. The whole of California and Oregon includes only about 250,000 square miles, only a very small portion of which could have been thoroughly explored by Mr. Wood; how unlikely, then, that he should have actually obtained, in nine months, 368 species more on 250,000 square miles, than all the botanists of the East have found on more than double that area. Mr. Bolander also brought forward ample evidence to show that Mr. Wood was not competent to determine how many new species he had collected, proving by the written statements of Dr. Kellogg, and others, that he was not acquainted with some of the most common and easily recognized genera of this coast.

Dr. Gibbons made some remarks on the rain-fall of this region during the last seventeen years.

Mr. Gutzkow exhibited a sheet of metallic silver of three feet in diameter, and about three ounces Troy weight, which had the appearance and consistency of white writing paper. It was taken from the surface of a lead-lined tank, in which a solution of protoxide of iron was saturated, near the boiling point, with sulphate of silver. If the temperature of the solution is maintained at a certain height, sheet after sheet can be stripped off from the surface. The silver thus obtained, is, after washing with muriatic acid to free it from the iron solution, chemically pure, and by its peculiar shape and purity, well adapted to serve as proof silver for assaying purposes. The experiment will work only when operating on a rather large scale, so as to prevent the too sudden cooling of the solution. The chemical action to which it is due is the oxydation of the protoxide of iron into sesquioxide at the expense of the oxygen combined with the silver. This oxydation, which is known to precipitate the silver as a whitish powder, begins to take place only at a certain temperature below the boiling point, and is made, in the above experiment, to act on the crystals of sulphate of silver separating on the surface of the slowly cooling solution.

REGULAR MEETING, MARCH 18TH, 1867.

President in the Chair.

Twenty-six members present.

Messrs. Elisha Brooks, Ellis H. Holmes, L. C. Lane, M.D., John C. Pelton, J. M. Sharkey, M.D., J. A. Bauer, and Robert Hagen, were elected Resident Members, and W. H. Dall a Corresponding Member.

Donations to the Cabinet: Crystal of Borax, from Borax Lake, by Mr. Lightner; a Bald Eagle, by Dr. Ayres; a specimen of Wallapi Food, by Frank S. Alling, El Dorado Cañon; gold-bearing Quartz, from South Carolina, by Gregory Yale; Wolf Fish, from Frank Johnson; specimen of _Bdellostoma_, from Dr. Canfield.

Dr. Cooper presented the following paper:

The West Coast Helicoid Land Shells.

BY J. G. COOPER, M.D.

In the article on p. 259, Vol. III, of these Proceedings for April 2d, 1866, I suggested a division of the Californian Banded Helices into five subgenera, founded on the shells alone. Since then, Mr. G. W. Tryon has published a synopsis of all of them except _H. facta_ in his “Journal of Conchology,” Vol. II, Part 4, for October, 1866, arranging them in the “genera” _Aglaia_, _Arianta_ and _Polymita_, but differing essentially from Albers and other authors in the species he assigns to these groups. The types of these subgenera, however, differ so much from our species that it is easy to separate the shells by good subgeneric characters; and as they inhabit respectively South America, Europe, and Cuba, it is very probable that the animals differ still more. Until these have been compared, we may well hesitate in referring ours to the same groups, and must for the present be guided by the shells alone.

In examining these, the most striking and almost universal character we find is the presence of a dark band, generally pale margined, on one or both sides, and situated at or close to the breathing aperture in the animal’s mantle, apparently having some physiological connection with this opening. It is too uniform and general to be merely an ornamental marking, such as we find in many species, especially the tropical, which usually show no uniformity in the arrangement of their bands.

The next most constant characters are those derived from the nature of the surface, whether hirsute, with revolving grooves, smooth or variously sculptured, with wrinkles, zigzag or oblique patterns.

Although colors alone are usually unreliable as subgeneric characters, I am inclined to consider them as such in the case of these and some allied species, from their apparent connection with important organs. In fact the band, so constant in this large series of species, takes precedence of considerable variety of form, for the variations in outline, umbilicus, and peristome, though great in the extremes, are so gradually shaded and blended together in the whole series that no well-defined generic divisions can be founded on them, though useful for the minor grouping. The umbilicus especially is variable even in specimens of the same species, those from southern and arid regions being often nearly imperforate, and more conical than others.

Several Mexican species belong to the same series, such as H. REMONDII _Tryon_, H. GRISEOLA _Pfeiff_, and H. BERLANDIERIANA _Moric._, the two last extending to Texas. Others, as H. HUMBOLDTIANA _Val._, scarcely differ from the typical _Pomatia_ in form. I would, however, exclude the true _Hygromias_ associated with these by Tryon. I would also exclude the plain or variegated species of Lower California, which approach nearer to _Polymita_. It must be observed that many of our species approach in form to others of allied groups, so that if we overlook characters of color and surface, we will be inclined to place in the same groups, Nos. 40 and 52, 24 and 32, 29 and 47, etc. Even in color Nos. 32 to 35 show an approach to the group of Lower California, but seem more closely allied to our series, having merely a geographical affinity to the former. Size is of little value, even as a specific character among the land shells, nearly all the species furnishing specimens twice as large as others of the same kind. The proportions of height to breadth are more reliable, but not constant.

The subgenus or division characterized by the band is scarcely distinguishable as a whole from the typical _Helix_, (type _pomatia_) of Europe, though the extremes vary greatly, simulating the three or more foreign genera to which various authors have attached them.[32]

Our species are distinct enough among themselves when the true specific characters here given are noted, though occasionally hybrids undoubtedly occur. Dr. W. Newcomb has raised many specimens in his garden in Oakland, combining the characters of Nos. 24, 25, 29, 31, and 43, in such manner that it is often impossible to determine which they belong to. Yet their natural locations are usually so widely separated that only occasionally can hybrids occur in a state of nature, and where several do inhabit one locality, as 24, 27, 28, 46 do at Santa Cruz, though nearly allied, intermediate forms are not found. Some of the so-called species are, however, scarcely more than hybrids or varieties, but the names are retained as indicating their differences, though almost every species is divisible into varieties as well marked or better. Thus the specimen described on p. 260 of this volume (from Mount Diablo) seems to be a hybrid between _mormonum_ and _ramentosa_, and we also find specimens connecting the latter with 25, 26, and perhaps others.

Occasional links also occur, connecting many others of the banded species together.

A similar intermixing of species, where nearly allied, occurs among our marine shells wherever two or more encroach on each other’s limits; but the comparative rarity of the intermediate forms seems to indicate hybridity rather than specific identity of their allies.

It is probable that groups X and XI and XIII and XIV should be united, as the distinctive characters between them are not of first importance, and species of each are very closely similar otherwise. Parallel columns may be formed, as indicated on p. 260, in which close resemblances in form, number of whorls, etc., between species of the different groups may be shown, and this may be extended so as to show analogous parallels with those of other sub-families, or even families, but these resemblances do not indicate affinity, though very likely to mislead. A geographical arrangement of some groups is also indicated, though imperfectly, as there are no impassable limits between them. For special localities of many species, see vol. III, pp. 62, 115, 180, 259, and II, 91, 103.[33]

The Darwinian theory of development might be very beautifully illustrated by these banded snails, if we could find evidence that their various forms had all originated from a common stock (which might be the _ramentosa_, as that species now occupies a nearly central locality). But though fossil forms have been found differing considerably from their present representatives, there are others apparently as old, which show no such differences, and none of them show a tendency towards any common original type. The one referred to by Professor Whitney on p. 278, as found with the human skull of supposed pliocene (?) age, does not differ perceptibly from specimens of _mormonum_, now living near the locality. It retains even its band of color, which is soon lost in specimens imbedded near the surface, and this (if not preserved by its deep burial or incrustation) is strong evidence against a great antiquity of the skull. All other fossil Helicoids are considered postpliocene, at least so far as known in this State, though extinct species occur in Europe as far back as the Eocene.

The bandless species of the west coast slope, from lat. 33° to 49°, are added to the synopsis, to show their relations and analogies with the banded. The arrangement followed is essentially that of Tryon, except the addition of some he has omitted, or not yet published. The generic divisions are also reduced to groups, as the true generic characters are not yet settled. The lip is entirely wanting in the first family, but in the bandless _Helicidæ_ of this coast, it becomes of great importance for grouping of species, (49 to 55) of which we have very few, while east of the Rocky Mountains there are more than fifty. Group III is also largely developed on the Atlantic slopes. The tendency now is to divide too much, which is as unnatural as to unite all under genus HELIX, as many still do. It is probable that the divisions here called subfamilies, answer more nearly to the true genera than any others, though they require modification, and the selection of names applicable to them as genera, is a difficult task. To undertake to distinguish genera by the lingual teeth, mucous pores, or any other single character of the soft parts, is less practicable than to do it by the shells alone, and little if any more reliable. There may, however, be foreign shells closely resembling ours in form, which must still be separated on account of the animal.

I have omitted most of the compound terms used by authors to describe the forms or shells, as they are not used with any uniform system, and do not well define the differences between the various species of the same group. The dimensions are more reliable for separating allied forms. “Striæ” is also an indefinite term, used by various authors for lines of growth, revolving grooves or stripes of color, and is therefore never used alone in this article.

It is remarkable that no _reversed_ species or variety has yet been found west of the Rocky Mountains.

Order PULMONIFERA.

Mollusca with or without shells, breathing by lungs, inhabiting the land, fresh or salt waters.

Subord. GEOPHILA.

Terrestrial Molluscs. Section with external rounded shells.

NOTE.—The * indicates the original measurement of authors, in hundredths of an inch.

=A.= Shell with edge of mouth sharp.

Fam. _Helicellidæ_. Shell corneous, thin, polished, translucent, sometimes with internal teeth.

Subfam. _Vitrininæ_. Shell very fragile, whorls 2 or 3, the last greatly expanded, not covering the animal.

I Genus BINNEYA Cp. Ear-shaped, nearly flat, one-third the length of animal, spire none, corneous.

=1 notabilis= _Cp._ Whorls 2, pale brown, first with 30 delicate revolving ribs, epidermis expanded; diam. *0.46, alt. 0.12 in.

II Genus VITRINA Drap. Depressed subglobose, last whorl very large, swollen, imperforate, shining.

=2 Pfeifferi= _Newc._ Wh. 3, greenish white, suture finely margined, columella arched, spire flattened, diam. *0.19, axis 0.09.

Subfam. _Helicellinæ_. Shell thin, translucent, whorls 4 to 6, mouth moderate, surface smooth, pitted below or perforated.

III Group. HYALINA Feruss. Depressed globose, moderately umbilicate, or pitted, vitreous, shining, whorls uniform.

=3 Breweri= _Newc._ Wh. 5, pale corneous, umbilicus large, suture slightly channeled, aperture lunar; diam. *0.20, axis 0.10.

IV Group. MACROCYCLIS Beck. Discoid, widely umbilicate, growth lines often coarse, last whorl usually deflexed.

=4 Newberryana= _W. G. Binn._ Wh. 6, reddish-brown, flattened, mouth not deflexed, fine revolving striæ; diam. 1.43, axis 0.50.

=5 Vancouverensis= _Lea._ Wh. 5, yellowish-green, shining, very slight revolving grooves; diam. 1.10 to *1.25, axis 0.40.

=6 sportella= _Gould._ Wh. 5, pale-greenish, growth lines coarse, crossed by revolving grooves; diam. *0.50 to 0.70, axis 0.20 to 0.25.

=7 Voyana= _Newc._ Wh. 5, pale corneous, mouth much sinuated above, body whorl crossed by a thick callus; diam. *0.50, axis 0.15 to 0.20.

Subfam. _Gastrodontinæ_. Generally depressed conic, and lamellarly toothed inside, growth lines distinct, small.

V Group. CONULUS Fitz. minute, conoid, whorls 4 to 6, narrow, aperture basal, transverse, perforate or not, without teeth.

=8 chersina= _Say._ Wh. 5-6, amber-yellow, imperforate, base indurated, smooth, shining; diam. 0.10 to 0.12, axis, 0.08.

=9 chersinella= _Dall._ Wh. 4½ to 5, yellowish, narrowly perforate, mouth oblique, growth ribs distinct; diam. *0.14, axis 0.09.

Subfam. _Patulinæ_. Thickish, epidermis opaque, form discoidal to subglobose, umbilicate, often striped or hirsute.

VI Group. PSEUDOHYALINA Morse. Minute, convex discoid, nearly smooth, umbilicate, unicolor, whorls 3 to 5.

=10 milium= _Morse_. Wh. 3, greenish white, plano-convex, translucent, minute revolving grooves; diam. 0.05, axis 0.02. Nevada Co. and Angel Island, _Rowell_, Monterey, _Canfield_, San Francisco and Santa Cruz, rare. No revolving grooves seen.

=11 minuscula= _Binn._ Wh. 4, whitish, nearly flat, mouth sub-oval, whorls narrow, smooth, a parietal callus; diam. 0.09, axis 0.01.

=12 conspecta= _Bland_. Wh. 4, dark corneous, obtuse convex, smooth, mouth sub-circular, oblique; diam. 0.08 to 0.10, axis 0.04 to 0.05.

VII Group. PATULA _Held_. Size moderate, convex-discoid, concave below, umbilicus showing all the whorls, unicolor.

=13 Hornii= _Gabb._ Wh. 4½, opaque, brown, _sparsely hirsute_, spire flattened, umbilicus a little contracted; diam. *0.16, axis 0.09.

=14 Whitneyi= _Newc._ Wh. 4, smoky-brown, smooth, nearly flat, umbilicus plainly perspective; diam. *0.20, axis 0.10.

=15 Cronkhitei= _Newc._ Wh. 4, yellowish corneous, a little convex, growth-ribs distinct, not plainly perspective; diam. *0.20, axis 0.15.

=16 striatella= _Anth._ Wh. 3-4, pale corneous, depressed convex, umbilicus large, shallow, growth-ribs faint; diam. 0.20, axis 0.15. The west slope specimens may be all of last species.

=17 Durantii= _Newc._ Wh. 4, light corneous, flat above, nearly smooth, umbilicus perspective, opaque; diam. *0.20, axis 0.07.

VIII Group. HELICODISCUS? Morse. Planorboid, whorls visible below, several sets of internal teeth. (“POLYGYRA” Tryon, part.)

=18 polygyrella= _Bland_. Wh. 7 to 8, yellowish horn color, 3 teeth opposite mouth, 3 nearer mouth, 1 parietal; diam. *0.44, axis 0.19.

IX Group. ANGUISPIRA Morse. Large, rather heavy, subturbinate, strongly ribbed, grooved or striped, umbilicate.

=19 Idahoensis= _Newc._ Wh. 5, ashy corneous, very convex, 20 to 25 strong ribs on last whorl, fewer above; diam. *0.52, axis 0.45.

=20 Cooperii= _W. G. Binn._ Wh. 5 to 6, white, 1 or 2 brown distant bands or mottlings, fine revolving grooves; diam. 0.58 to 0.98, axis 0.35 to 0.37.

[34] =21 solitaria= _Say._ Wh. 6, white to dark brown, 1 to 4 brown bands, or a var. (?) brown, with 1 pale band; diam. 1.00, axis 0.80.

=22 strigosa= _Gould._ Wh. 5, ashy to brown, usually 5 to 8 banded below middle, angled or carinate, revolving grooves; diam. 0.75 to 1.00, axis 0.28 to 0.50.

_N.B._ Nos. 13, 16, 18, and Group IX are found only east of California.

B. Shell with a distinct thickened lip.

Fam. _Helicidæ_. Epidermis thickish, opaque, colored, lip thickened, expanded, reflected or toothed. Large or moderate.

Genus HELIX _Linn_. Form globose—conic to depressed carinate; umbilicus wide to very small or covered; lip thickened, sometimes a little expanded, and rarely tuberculate below, or continuous across body whorl. Color, (in our species) yellowish brown to black, with a darker band around the periphery and sutural region, generally margined on each side (at least when young) by a pale one.

†Band triple in young and thin specimens, (wanting in varieties. Bandless specimens of Nos. 24, 25, 27, 28, 33, have been noticed.) Colors, uniform brown or olivaceous, sometimes mottled. Obliquely reticulate grooved, or wrinkled-malleated. From forests of oak, etc., in middle regions, or moderate elevations southward.

X Group. (“ARIANTA” Albers, No. 23. “POLYMITA” Tryon, No. 24.) Form resembling _H. pomatia_, sculpture in zigzag or divaricate grooves. Subimperforate.

=23 Californiensis= _Lea._ Wh. 5, yellowish-olive, thin, band pale-margined, sculpture faint, subglobose; diam. 0.75 to 0.88, axis 0.56 to 0.62.

=24 redimita= _W. G. Binn._ Wh. (4½) 5½ to 6, reddish brown, band single, umbil. small or none; (var. of 25?) diameter 0.80, axis 0.48.

XI Group. (ARIANTA and AGLAIA part., auct.) Form much like _Arianta arbustorum_, sculpture like last. Umbilicate.

=25 Nickliniana= _Lea._ Wh. 6 to 7, yellowish-brown, oblique grooved, wrinkled or malleated, umbil. small; diam. 0.72 to 1.05, axis 0.42 to 0.80.

=26 Bridgesii= _Newc._ (Not of Tryon, 1866.) Wh. 6, grayish corneous, thinner, band broader, umbil. wider than 25 (a var.?); diam. *1.00, axis 0.73.

=27 arrosa= _Gld._ Wh. 5½ to 7, brown, mottled yellow, (vars. yellow or olive, bandless) wrinkled malleate; diam. 1.10 to *1.60, axis 0.59 to 0.90.

=28 exarata= _Pfeiff._ (Not of Weigm. = cælatura _Fer._) Wh. 6 to 7, yellow, or olive and brown mixed, strongly wrinkled, faintly malleate; diam. 0.75 to 1.15, axis 0.40 to 0.62.

=29 ramentosa= _Gld._ Wh. 5½ to 6½, yellowish brown, thin, oblique grooved, sometimes wrinkled; diam. 0.70 to 1.30, axis 0.57 to 0.90.

=30 reticulata= _Pfeiff._ “Wh. 5½, reddish brown, band single, sculpture like 29,” (probably a var.); diam. *0.85, axis 0.47.

=31 tudiculata= _Binn._ Wh. 5 to 5½, brown or olive, band wide, paler margined, malleate, body whorl swollen; diam. 0.90 to 1.40, axis 0.45 to 0.80.

XII Group. (“POLYMITA” Tryon, part, “ARIANTA” Albers. part.) Sub-globose conic; axis, 0.6 to 0.8 diam.; band single, obscure, or none, often mottled; smooth or with revolving grooves, sub-imperforate. Usually paler below.

=32 Kellettii= _Forbes_. Wh. 5, reddish with pale mottling in bands, faint revolving or oblique grooves; diam. 0.72 to 1.20, axis 0.48 to 0.68.

=33 crebristriata= _Newc._ Wh. 5, dark corneous, band obscure or none, lip sometimes continuous; diam. *0.92, axis 0.55 to 0.80.

=34 intercisa= _W. G. Binn_. Wh. 5, grayish or brown, band obscure, deeply grooved, lip thick, continuous, tubercled; (= 33 var.?) diam. *0.84, axis 0.57. “_Hab._ probably San Miguel I.” _Newcomb_, from worn specimens in his museum, not “Oregon.”

=35 Tryoni= _Newc._ Wh. 5½ to 6, bluish or mottled, pale below, band faint, lower lip sometimes tubercled; diam. *0.80, axis 0.55.

=36 Carpenteri= _Newc._ Wh. 5½, brownish white, band faint, fine revolving grooves, mouth subcircular; diam. *0.90, axis 0.64.

=37? Rowellii= _Newc._ “Wh. 4½, opaque white, no band, or sculpture” (bleached?), mouth subcircular, umbilicate; diam. *0.60, axis 0.40. (Unique specimen, and may be of the Mexican group, like _lævis_, etc.)

“Arianta” Remondii _Tryon_, and “Galaxias” griseola and Berlandieriana, of Mexico, seem to connect this group with the next.

†† Band triple, colors strongly defined.

XIII Group. (AGLAIA _Alb._ part.) Generally lower than group XII, and lip more expanded, umbilicus large or moderate, with revolving grooves, or smooth.

‡ Colors light, often palest below. Inhabit dry or treeless regions, from lat. 32° to 36°.

=38 facta= _Newc._ Wh. 5 to 5½, white, or brownish above, lip yellow, umbil. nearly covered; diam. *0.42, axis 0.22.

=39 Gabbii= _Newc._ Wh. 5, band margins and grooves obsolete; (unique, between 38 and 40;) diam. *0.40, axis 0.20.

=40 rufocincta= _Newc._ Wh. 5 to 6, pale brown, depressed, umbil. moderate, lip broad; diam. 0.50 to 0.85, axis 0.22 to 0.45.

=41 Traskii= _Newc._ Wh. 6 to 6½, like last, but umbil. larger, lip thinner, usually higher; diam. 0.90 to 1.00, axis 0.40 to 0.62.

=42 Ayresiana= _Newc._ Wh. 6 to 7, yellowish, paler below, strongly grooved, spire elevated; diam. *0.80, axis 0.55. “Santa Cruz I., Cal.” Newcomb coll.

‡‡ Colors dark, often paler above. Inhabit damp coniferous forests, lat. 37° to 50°.

=43 Dupetithouarsii= _Desh._ Wh. 7 to 8, brown or olive, band margins whitish, grooves obsolete, often submalleate; diam. 0.90 to *1.20, axis 0.54 to *0.60.

=44 fidelis= _Gray._ Wh. 6½ to 7, band and beneath black, band margins and above red or yellow (a hybrid? var., black, and becoming slightly angled); diam. 1.12 to 1.50, axis 0.60 to 0.90. “Oregonensis” _Lea_, may be = 44 jun.

XIV Group. (AGLAIA Albers, part.) Depressed, usually subangled, hirsute or bristle marked, umbil. large.

=45 infumata= _Gld._ Chestnut to black, a single band sometimes visible, angled, lip thin, bristles deciduous; (closely allied to black var. of 44;) diam. 1.40 to *1.50, axis 0.54 to 0.60.

=46 sequoicola= _Cp._ Wh. 6½, dark brown, rounded, bristles only in young, leaving marks; diam. *1.08 to 1.20, axis 0.50 to 0.54.

=47 Mormonum= _Pfeiff._ Wh. 6 to 6½, brown, depressed, sometimes subangled, sometimes bristle marked; diam. 0.95 to 1.30, axis 0.50 to 0.54.

=48 Hillebrandi= _Newc._ Wh. 6, yellowish brown, bands hid by persistent long bristles, subcarinate, lip broad; diam. 0.80 to 0.96, axis 0.35 to 0.40.

=C.= Bandless; lip more developed, reflected, often toothed at the base.

Genus MESODON _Raf._ Lip broadly expanded, often 1-3 toothed, or with parietal tooth only, sometimes none; corneous.

XV Group. (“ARIANTA.”) Toothless, umbilicus large, surface coarsely wrinkled or granulate, lip broad, reflexed.

=49 Townsendiana= _Lea._ Wh. 5½, to 6, mixed yellow and brown, body whorl coarsely wrinkled, fine revolving grooves; diam. 0.68 to 1.38, axis 0.35 to 0.55.[35]

=50 anachoreta= _W. G. Binn._ “Wh. 6, reddish ashen, granulated and sparsely indented;” diam. *1.00, axis 0.54.

XVI Group. ODOTROPIS _Raf._ “Tooth upon columella, umbilicus covered.” Lower lip tuberculate, and a parietal tooth.

=51 devia= _Gld._ Wh. 6, brown or olive, no sculpture except distinct lines of growth; diam. 0.80, axis 0.45.

XVII Group. APLODON _Raf._ One parietal tooth, (or none) perforate or imperforate, hirsute or smooth, lip simple.

=52 Columbiana= _Lea._ Wh. 5½ to 6, corneous brown, with or without hairs, umbilicate; diam. 0.50 to 0.70, axis 0.25 to 0.35. The small imperforate and toothed form usually classed with this species may better be considered a rounded var. of _germana_, the subangled form of which is very rare.

=53 germana= _Gld._ “Wh. 5½, reddish corneous, hirsute, subangled, one parietal tooth, imperforate;” diam. *0.30, axis 0.20.

XVIII Group. TRIODOPSIS _Raf._ “Umbil. large, a tooth on each lip, and one parietal.” Sometimes hirsute, hairs deciduous.

=54 Mullani= _Bld._ Wh. 5½ to 6, brownish corneous, microscopic spiral lines and tubercles; (hairy?) diameter *0.53, axis 0.29.

=55 loricata= _Gld._ Wh. 5½, brown or greenish, scale-like wrinkles quincuncially arranged; diam. *0.25 to 0.35, axis *0.10 to 0.20.

I am indebted to Dr. Newcomb and Mr. R. E. C. Stearns for much assistance in preparing this paper. Though not offered as a final arrangement of the species, it is hoped that this synopsis may aid in their determination, and thus make a step towards a correct systematizing of this difficult series.

There are four or five other subgenera among the 50 species of this family in the Atlantic States, divided by Bland into fifteen groups. He places Nos. 51, 54, and 53 in his 8th, 9th, and 15th groups respectively.—(Ann. N. Y. Lyc. N. H. 1864.)

[32] Extreme specimens of _H. arrosa_ found by Mr. Gabb in Mendocino County, Cal., its northern limit, and also one of _H. redimita_ found in Alameda County by Mr. Holder, have exactly the form of _H. pomatia_, and in each case have one and a half whorls less than the types, indicating perhaps that the usual forms found here are higher developed than the type of the genus. (A genus _Pomatia_ has also been founded on this type of the Linnæan genus _Helix_.)

_Aglaia_ was used by Escholtz, 1825, in Acalephæ, by Swainson, 1827, in Birds, and by Renier Philinidæ, before Albers adopted it in this order!!

[33] See, also, the “Geographical Catalogue of West Coast Mollusca,” published by the State Geological Survey, April, 1867.

[34] The west slope specimens may be all of species 20.

[35] A specimen figured by Mr. Tryon in the last number of the “Journal” just received, (May, 1867), as “var. _minor_,” from Idaho and Nebraska, seems to have an obscure band, which, together with its form and want of wrinkles, indicate entire distinctness from _Townsendiana_. The small form of the latter found by me in Montana has no band, and seems close to Binney’s _anachoreta_, of which supposed specimens from “Oregon” are in Mr. Rowell’s collection. The Eastern _Mesodon clausa_, _elevata_ and perhaps others, have been found banded occasionally, but without the paler margins, and only as an exception.

Prof. W. P. Blake read the following:

Origin of the Submerged Forests in the Columbia River, Oregon.

BY WM. P. BLAKE.

The submerged forests of fir trees, extending about twenty-five miles along the Columbia River, above the Cascades, have long excited the curiosity of travelers upon that stream. The trees stand erect as they grew, but the tops have decayed and broken off, leaving only those portions of the trees that have been protected from the air by the covering of water. At extreme high-water very few of these old trunks can be seen, but at low-water they appear in great numbers, and project a few inches or feet above the surface, and in some places they extend far out into the stream.

These trees are not petrified, as is supposed by many. The outer portions are much softened and partly decayed, but towards the heart the wood is sound, and appears to be identical in character with the fir which covers the mountains around. Some cedar stumps are also found.

It is well known that fir trees will not grow below the high-water mark of our streams, or where the roots would be subject to overflows. Flooding the roots of the fir even for a few days is sufficient to destroy its life. It is thus clear that there has been a change in the level of the water since the forests grew. Either the land has sunk or the water has been raised: the latter appears to have been the fact.

The river at the Cascades, just below the submerged forests, plunges over great masses of a hard volcanic conglomerate, which forms the base of the cliffs on each side. This conglomerate, which is 150 to 200 feet thick, rests upon a stratum of sandy clay. This stratum is much softer than the conglomerate, and yields more rapidly to the action of running water. It may be seen when the water is low, at the foot of the Cascades, with the hard conglomerate overhanging it in large masses.

From all these facts, it appears that the river, in cutting its way downwards through the Cascade Range, reached this soft substratum, and for a long time flowed in a comparatively unobstructed channel at a much lower level than now, thus permitting the forests to grow along its banks. The extensive undermining of the conglomerate caused it at length to fall into the stream, and this, together with the sliding in of the banks upon this soft foundation, I regard as forming the obstruction which dammed the waters and caused the overflow of the forests above.

The mountains rise on each side to a height of 2,500 or 3,000 feet, and are composed of nearly horizontal beds of lava. One of these mountains on the right bank, or Washington Territory side, presents vertical cliffs towards the Cascades, and these cliffs have a _freshly broken_ appearance, as if a large part of the mountain had _broken off_ at no very remote period. The surface of the country between this cliff and the Cascades is very much broken, and the railroad which traverses it, exposes enormous masses of the conglomerate, piled confusedly together as if they had been hurled down by a land-slide. Mr. Brazee, the engineer of the Oregon Steam Navigation Company, informs me that the ground is in constant motion toward the river, and it has necessitated the relaying of the track within the past year. The same phenomena have been observed on the left bank, or Oregon side. The bank is in constant motion there, and at low-water a fine blue clay may be seen rising in the channel, as if crowded out by the pressure of the rocks above. As there has not been any perceptible change of level in the stream for years past, we may conclude that the erosive action of the current is fully equal to the encroachment of the banks.

The Indians of the Columbia have a tradition of a great convulsion at the Cascades. They assert that the Chinook canoes formerly ascended the river as far as a water-fall at the Dalles, passing, at the Cascades, _under a bridge of rock_. This bridge, or arch of rock, they say, fell in at the time of a quarrel between the two mountains, Mt. Hood and St. Helen’s, and at the same time the waterfall at the Dalles was destroyed, so that salmon could ascend to the Upper Columbia. Before that the fall was so high that salmon could not get up, and all the upper country Indians were obliged to go to the Dalles for their supply.

The general accuracy of this tradition seems highly probable. The Dalles are now a succession of rapids and low falls, in a narrow channel, between vertical walls of basaltic lava. There is very little fall or current in the river below the Dalles to the Cascades, and the elevation of the water by an obstruction at the latter point would in all probability affect the height of the lower fall at the Dalles.

The sandy substratum of the coarse conglomerate at the Cascades is evidently an old river or beach deposit. It is accompanied by layers of round water-worn rocks, and is filled with trunks of trees lying prostrate. These trees are fossilized. Some of them are half coal and half stone. The central portions are usually coal-like or carbonized, and the outer parts silicified. They vary in size, from a few inches to six feet in diameter, and are nearly all flattened by pressure. This stratum is evidently the source of the great quantities of silicified wood which are found about the Cascades.

Mr. Stearns read the following note on a large specimen of _Orthagoriscus analis_, Ayres:

In passing through the Italian Fish Market in this City, in the month of October, 1866, I noticed an unusually large specimen of _Orthagoriscus analis_, commonly called “Sun Fish,” described by Dr. Ayres on page 31 of Vol. II of the Academy Proceedings. Curiosity led me to make a measurement, which I find in my note-book as follows: length from snout to extreme caudal point, 5 feet 8¼ inches; from tip of dorsal to tip of anal fin, 7 feet 6 inches. I found the anal and dorsal fins to be nearly the same length, measuring from the tip to junction with body 23 inches. Weight, as stated by the fishermen, 632 pounds. It will be seen that the measurement from tip to tip of fins as above, exceeds the length by 21¾ inches.

Mr. Stearns made the following remarks as to the true habitat of _Helix Ayresiana_, Newc.:

On page 103, Vol. II, of the Academy’s Proceedings, may be found, under date of March 18th, 1861, the description by Dr. W. Newcomb of a _Helix H. Ayresiana_, the habitat of which was, as I learn from Dr. N., doubtfully assigned at that time to “Northern Oregon.” Recently Dr. Newcomb has himself detected it on Santa Cruz Island, off the Coast of California, near Santa Barbara.

Professor Whitney exhibited a sample of the coal used at Salt Lake City, taken by Mr. Ives, chief of one of the Central Pacific Railroad surveying parties, from a wagon on its way from the mines to the city. The locality from which it was obtained is in Webber Cañon, and the geological age of the deposit is supposed to be cretaceous. The quality of the coal seems to be good; but nothing very definite could be communicated in regard to the extent or geological position of the bed.

Professor Whitney also exhibited a specimen of very pure rock salt, obtained from the Salt Mountain on the Muddy River, a branch of the Virgin, nearly a hundred miles south of Pahranagat, by Major S. S. Lyon, formerly of the Kentucky Geological Survey. Major Lyon being present, at the request of the President, gave an account of this interesting locality, which is one long known to explorers. He stated that the Salt Mountain lies on both sides of the Muddy River, and rises 400 feet above that stream. The locality is about thirty miles northeast of Colville, and twenty from the Colorado. Major Lyon also gave some facts in regard to the geology of the vicinity of Pahranagat, where he had been residing for some months past.

Professor Whitney presented two analyses of ores from the Comstock Lode, Virginia City, Nevada, made by Professor Domeyko, of Santiago, Chile, and communicated by Mr. Rémond, who is now residing in that place. They are as follows:

I. II.

Gold, 1.10 0.18 Silver, 15.90 8.90 Lead, 27.30 10.00 Zinc, 23.40 21.70 Iron, 2.80 12.00 Copper, 2.00 — Antimony, 1.30 — Sulphur, 18.70 26.90 Matrix, 7.50 20.32 ------ ------ 100.00 100.00

The name of the mine from which they were taken was not given.

Mr. Yale brought up the subject of the gold mines in Africa, supposed to be worked by the Emperor Napoleon III, and kept secret from the world in general. A discussion ensued, in the course of which Professor Whitney and Mr. Ashburner expressed their doubts as to the possibility of the locality of any extensive mining operations being long concealed, and their disbelief in the truth of newspaper statements to this effect.

REGULAR MEETING, APRIL 1ST, 1867.

Prof. W. P. Blake in the Chair.

Thirty-two members present.

Messrs. Samuel I. C. Swezey, J. D. Farwell, Frederick Madge, D. J. Littlefield, Archibald Cooper, Samuel Pillsbury, Arthur W. Saxe, M.D., and Bernhard Marks, were elected Resident Members.

Donations to the Cabinet: A case of Butterflies, from the East India Islands and Brazil, collected and presented by Mr. Lorquin; California Snow Plant, (_Sarcodes sanguinea_) by Dr. Kellogg.

Mr. Stearns presented the following papers:

Shells collected at Santa Barbara by W. Newcomb, M.D., in January, 1867.

BY ROBERT E. C. STEARNS.

1. Pholadidea penita, Conr. 2. —— ovoidea, Gould. 3. Saxicava pholadis, Linn. 4. Platyodon cancellatum, Conr. 5. Cryptomya Californica, Conr. 6. Schizothærus Nuttalli, Conr. 7. Neæra pectinata, Carp. 8. Clidiophora punctata, Conr. 9. Thracia curta, Conr. 10. Lyonsia Californica, Conr. 11. Mytilimeria Nuttalli, Conr. 12. Solen sicarius, Gould. 13. Solecurtus Californianus, Conr. 14. Machæra patula, Dixon. 15. Sanguinolaria Nuttalli, Conr. 16. Macoma secta, Conr. 17. —— yoldiformis, Carp. 18. —— nasuta, Conr. 19. —— inconspicua, Br. & Sby. 20. Mera modesta, Carp. 21. Tellina Bodegensis, Hds. 22. Cooperella scintillæformis, Carp. 23. Semele decisa, Conr. 24. —— rupium, Sby. 25. Cumingia Californica, Conr. 26. Donax Californicus, Conr. 27. Standella planulata, Conr. 28. Amiantis callosa, Conr. 29. Pachydesma crassatelloides, Conr. 30. Psephis tantilla, Gould. 31. Chione succincta, Val. 32. Tapes staminea, Conr. 33. Saxidomus aratus, Gould. 34. Rupellaria lamellifera, Conr. 35. Petricola carditoides, Conr. 36. Chama exogyra, Conr. 37. Cardium quadragenarium, Conr. 38. Lazaria subquadrata, Carp. 39. Lucina Californica, Conr. 40. Diplodonta orbella, Gould. 41. Kellia Laperousii, Desh. 42. Mytilus Californianus, Conr. 43. Modiola capax, Conr. 44. —— recta, Conr. 45. Adula falcata, Gould. 46. —— stylina, Carp. 47. Pecten latiauritus, Conr. 48. Janira dentata, Sby. 49. Hinnites giganteus, Gray. 50. Ostrea lurida var. rufoides, Gould. 51. —— —— var. expansa, Carp. 52. Bulla nebulosa, Gould. 53. Haminea virescens, Sby. 54. Tornatina cerealis, Gould. 55. Dentalium hexagonum, Sby. 56. Mopalia muscosa, Gould. 57. —— —— ? 58. Acanthopleura scabra, Rve. 59. Ischnochiton Magdalensis, Hds. 60. Nacella insessa, Hds. 61. —— depicta, Hds. 62. —— paleacea, Gould. 63. —— vernalis, Dall (mss.) 64. Acmæa patina, Esch. 65. —— persona, Esch. 66. —— scabra, Nutt, Rve. 67. —— spectrum, Nutt, Rve. 68. Lottia gigantea, Gray. 69. Scurria mitra, Esch. 70. Rowellia radiata, Cooper. 71. Clypidella bimaculata, Dall (mss.) 72. Fissurella volcano, Rve. 73. Glyphis aspera, Esch. 74. Lucapina crenulata, Sby. 75. Haliotis Cracherodii, Leach. 76. Phasianella compta, Gould. 77. —— pulloides, Carp. 78. Pomaulax undosus, Wood. 79. Trochiscus Norrisii, Sby. 80. Chlorostoma funebrale, A. Ad. 81. —— aureotinctum, Fbs. 82. Calliostoma canaliculatum, Mart. 83. —— costatum, Mart. 84. Crepidula lingulata, Gould. 85. —— excavata, Brod. 86. —— navicelloides, Nutt. 87. —— —— var. nummaria, Gould. 88. —— —— var. explanata, Gould. 89. Hipponyx cranioides, Carp. 90. —— tumens, Carp. 91. —— serratus, Carp. 92. Serpulorbis squamigerus, Carp. 93. Turritella Cooperi, Carp. 94. Cerithidea sacrata, Gould. 95. Bittium filosum, Gould. 96. Litorina planaxis, Nutt. 97. —— scutulata, Gould. 98. Lacuna variegata, Carp. 99. —— unifasciata, Carp. 100. —— solidula, Loven. 101. Rissoa acutelirata, Carp. 102. Luponia spadicea, Gray. 103. Trivia Californica, Gray. 104. —— Solandri, Gray. 105. Erato vitellina, Hds. 106. Surcula Carpenteriana, Gabb. 107. Drillia inermis, Hds. 108. —— torosa, Carp. 109. —— mœsta, Carp. 110. Conus Californicus, Hds. 111. Odostomia sp. 112. Chemnitzia torquata, Gould. 113. Scalaria Indianorum, Carp. 114. —— subcoronata, Carp. 115. Cerithiopsis assimilata, C. B. Ad. 116. Lunatia Lewisii, Gould. 117. Ranella Californica, Hds. 118. Mitra maura, Swains. 119. Volvarina varia, Sby. 120. Olivella biplicata, Sby. 121. Nassa fossata, Gould. 122. —— perpinguis, Hds. 123. —— mendica, Gould. 124. —— Cooperi, Fbs. 125. —— tegula, Rve. 126. Amycla carinata, Hds. 127. —— tuberosa, Carp. 128. Amphissa corrugata, Rve. 129. Purpura crispata, Esch. 130. —— triserialis, Blve. 131. —— saxicola, Val. 132. Monoceros engonatum, Conr. 133. Ocinebra interfossa, Carp. 134. Cerastoma Nuttalli, Conr. 135. Muricidea Barbarensis, Gabb.

Dr. Newcomb also visited Santa Cruz Island, and collected the following species:

1. Waldheimia Grayi, Davidson. 2. Saxicava pholadis, Linn. 3. Semele decisa, Conr. 4. Acmæa scabra, Nutt. 5. Lottia gigantea, Gray. 6. Rowellia radiata, Cooper. 7. Haliotis Cracherodii, Leach. 8. —— corrugata, Gray. 9. Pomaulax undosus, Wood. 10. Trochiscus Norrisii, Sby. 11. Chlorostoma gallina, Fbs. 12. —— funebrale, A. Ad. 13. Chlorostoma aureotinctum, Fbs. 14. Trivia Californica, Gray. 15. Conus Californicus, Hds. 16. Amycla tuberosa, Carp. 17. Monoceros engonatum, Conr. 18. Cerastoma Nuttalli, Conr. 19. Muricidea incisus, Brod. 20. Trophon triangulatus, Carp. 21. Fusus ambustus, Gould. 22. Argonauta Argo, Linn. 23. Helix Ayresiana, Newc.

List of Shells collected at Purissima and Lobitas, California, October, 1866.

BY ROBERT E. C. STEARNS, CURATOR OF CONCHOLOGY, CAL. ACAD. NAT. SCIENCES.

“Purissima” and “Lobitas” are the names of two creeks situated a few miles south of Spanish Town, in San Mateo County. Near the points where these streams empty into the ocean are small beaches and groups of flat rocks left bare at low tide, limited, however, in extent, as the shore in the neighborhood is for the most part exceedingly bold and precipitous, the ocean at ordinary high water beating against the base of the cliffs.

Dr. Newcomb and myself visited the localities at the period above mentioned, and collected the following species from among the drift or upon the rocks:

1. Waldheimia Grayi, Davidson. 2. Navea Newcombii, Tryon. 3. Zirphæa crispata, Linn. 4. Pholadidea penita, Conr. 5. —— ovoidea, Gould. 6. Netastomella Darwinii, Sby. 7. Parapholas Californica, Conr. 8. Saxicava pholadis, Linn. 9. Platyodon cancellatum, Conr. 10. Schizothærus Nuttalli, Conr. 11. Lyonsia Californica, Conr. 12. Mytilimeria Nuttalli, Conr. 13. Macoma inconspicua, Br. & Sby. 14. Standella falcata, Gld. 15. Tapes staminea, Conr. 16. —— ruderata, Desh. 17. Tapes diversa, Sby. 18. Rupellaria lamellifera, Conr. 19. Petricola carditoides, Conr. 20. Lazaria subquadrata, Cpr. 21. Kellia Laperousii, Desh. 22. Mytilus Californianus, Conr. 23. —— edulis, Linn. 24. Modiola fornicata, Gld. 25. Adula falcata, Gld. 26. —— stylina, Cpr. 27. Hinnites giganteus, Gray. 28. Placunanomia macroschisma, Desh. 29. Doris albopunctata, Cooper. 30. Cryptochiton Stelleri, Midd. 31. Katherina tunicata, Wood. 32. Tonicia lineata, Wood. 33. Mopalia muscosa, Gld. 34. —— Hindsii, Gray. 35. —— lignosa, Gld. 36. Acanthopleura scabra, Rve. 37. Nacella vernalis, Dall (mss.) 38. —— instabilis, Gld. 39. Acmæa patina, Esch. 40. —— pelta, Esch. 41. —— Asmi, Midd. 42. —— persona, Esch. 43. —— spectrum, Nutt. 44. Lottia gigantea, Gray. 45. Scurria mitra, Esch. 46. Glyphis aspera, Esch. 47. Clypidella callomarginata, Cpr. 48. —— bimaculata, Dall (mss.) 49. Haliotis Cracherodii, Leach. 50. —— rufescens, Swains. 51. Chlorostoma funebrale, A. Ad. 52. —— brunneum, Phil. 53. —— Pfeifferi, Phil. 54. Calliostoma canaliculatum, Mart. 55. —— costatum, Mart. 56. Margarita pupilla, Gould. 57. Crepidula adunca, Sby. 58. —— navicelloides, Nutt. 59. —— var. nummaria, Gld. 60. —— var. explanata, Gld. 61. Hipponyx cranioides, Cpr. 62. Litorina planaxis, Nutt. 63. —— scutulata, Gld. 64. Lacuna porrecta, Cpr. 65. —— unifasciata, Cpr. 66. Isapis obtusa, Cpr. 67. Erato vitellina, Hinds. 68. Drillia torosa, Cpr. 69. Scalaria Indianorum, Cpr. 70. —— subcoronata, Cpr. 71. Opalia borealis, Gld. 72. Velutina prolongata, Cpr. 73. Olivella biplicata, Sby. 74. —— intorta, Cpr. 75. Nassa fossata, Gld. 76. —— perpinguis, Hds. ? 77. —— mendica, Gld. 78. Amycla gausapata, Gld. 79. Amphissa corrugata, Rve. 80. Purpura crispata, Chem. 81. —— var. septentrionalis, Rve. 82. Purpura saxicola, var. ostrina, Gld. 83. Monoceros engonatum, Conr. 84. Ocinebra lurida, Midd. 85. —— var. aspera, Baird. 86. —— var. munda, Cpr. 87. —— interfossa, Cpr. 88. Cerostoma foliatum. 89. Octopus —— (n. s.?)

_Navea Newcombii_, alive in _Haliotis Cracherodii_. Nos. 4, 5, 6, 25, and 26 alive in soft shale between tide marks. _Doris albopunctata_, two specimens alive on rocks near low water mark. Of the Chitons, Nos. 31 and 36, particularly abundant; of the others named several specimens obtained, also one or two species undetermined. 41, common, alive, on _Chlorostoma funebrale_. 45 and 46, several living specimens between tide marks. 47 and 48, I think, are distinct species; suggest _Lucapina_, but foramen nearly twice as large as in shells of the latter of same size, differing also in sculpture and weight of shell. 49, animal lives for a long time, and affixes itself tenaciously to the rocks after the shell is removed. 63 and 65, together living on rocks near high-water mark, and on eel grass in pools left by the tide. 89, perhaps young of Mr. Gabb’s species _O. punctatus_; two living specimens, as yet undetermined, probably a new species.

Professor Silliman read a paper “On Naphtha and Illuminating Oil from Heavy California Tar (Maltha), and on the probable Origin of Petroleum.” This paper is omitted by the Publication Committee, as it had already been published in the _American Journal of Science_ at the time it was read before the California Academy.

Prof. W. P. Blake read the following communications:

Note upon the Brown Coal Formation of Washington Territory and Oregon.

BY WM. P. BLAKE.

Openings recently made in the coal formations along the Cowlitz River have shown the existence of several seams of brown coal, ranging from two to seven feet in thickness. They are separated by layers of sandstone, and are underlaid by a pebbly conglomerate.

The seven-foot seam contains a few partings of clay about six inches thick, but is chiefly a very compact coal, which breaks out in large blocks with a conchoidal fracture. It is very tough, and is not easily broken. It has the appearance of cannel or splint coal. Exposure to the sun and air causes it to shrink and crack.

It burns freely, giving a luminous flame, and a light smoke, similar to that from wood. The ignited coals hold fire in a remarkable manner, and with a strong draught or blast give an intense heat. A single fragment, when ignited, will continue to burn slowly to the center under an envelope of ash. A sun-dried sample gave me 50.8 per cent. of volatile matter, chiefly gas. The residue was a brilliant coke, the fragments of which were slightly adherent, thus showing a tendency to cake. Trials of the coal in quantity in open grates failed, however, to show any caking qualities. Some portions of the coal expand when burning and give a porous coke, which in many respects resembles ordinary charcoal.

This deposit appears to be formed in great part of trunks of exogenous trees. One trunk has been cut through that was over four feet in thickness: a part of this was compact coal, and another portion was in a half silicified state. Lines of annual growth may be seen in some of the samples. This combustible partakes of the characters of both coal and wood, and is in fact a highly condensed wood, carbonized, without the loss of its volatile portions.

Fossil plants are found in abundance in the adjoining sandy beds. They are chiefly leaves of deciduous trees, but there are some very distinct impressions of palms. This is significant of a warmer climate.

The same formation of brown coal appears to extend along the Columbia, back of St. Helen’s, where it is in close proximity to beds of iron ore, and the coal may perhaps be used to great advantage in the production of that metal.

Analysis of Mt. Diablo (California) Coal.

BY W. P. BLAKE.

A sample of Mt. Diablo coal, from the Pittsburg mine, was analyzed by me in January last, with the following results:

Water 3.28 Bituminous substances 47.05 Fixed carbon 44.90 Ash 4.71

The sample was very pure, and apparently free from sulphur. Color black. Fracture sub-conchoidal, giving brilliant shining surfaces. It is very brittle, and is easily reduced to powder in a mortar. Streak, dark brown.

This coal does not fuse so as to cake and make a compact mass of coke. It is not therefore an economical coal for gas production. It gives a long flame in burning; parts with its gas rapidly and breaks up into small fragments, thus necessitating the use of grate-bars with narrow openings. The above analysis differs from those hitherto published, chiefly in the amount of water and gas. Former analyses give from thirteen to fourteen per cent. of water.

Mr. Hanks presented an analysis of the rock-salt collected by Major Lyon on the Muddy River, as mentioned in the proceedings of the last meeting.

On Saturday, April 6th, the Academy made a field excursion to Angel Island, about fifteen members participating in the meeting. Facilities were afforded for the excursion by Major James T. Hoyt and General John A. King; and to these gentlemen the thanks of the Academy were ordered to be returned by the Secretary.

REGULAR MEETING, APRIL 15TH, 1867.

Vice President Ransom in the Chair.

Thirty-three members present.

The collections made during the field meeting on Angel Island were exhibited and commented on.

Professor Silliman read the following paper:

Notice of a peculiar mode of the occurrence of Gold and Silver in the Foot-Hills of the Sierra Nevada, and especially at Whisky Hill, in Placer County, and Quail Hill, in Calaveras County, California.

BY B. SILLIMAN.

In the search for ores of copper which occurred in California in what is now known as the “Copper Belt” of the Lower Sierras, deposits of “Iron Rust,” as they were called by the miners, were observed at numerous points far below the range of the main gold belt of the Sierras. Several of these ochraceous deposits had been previously “located” by prospecting miners for gold, before there was any knowledge, or suspicion even, of the existence of ores of copper in connection with them. It was a matter of common observation that certain gulches, or watercourses in the neighborhood of these rusty deposits, were rich in placer gold, having been worked for gold from an early date. The search for copper in this kind of deposit was not commercially successful, although there were shipments of green and blue carbonates of copper, red oxide and metallic copper, to a limited extent from both the localities here referred to, the metal from which was known to contain a notable value of gold and silver, stated to be about fifty dollars to the ton of ore. This search for copper has, however, opened up these deposits so as to display their character in a conspicuous manner.

The rocks appear to have been originally talcose and chloritic schists, sometimes micaceous, inclosing masses of argillite, and of quartz which appears to have been massive enough at certain points to assume the character of a vein, and parallel to the stratification which has the usual north-western strike and easterly dip of the region. All this mass of material which at Quail Hill is certainly three hundred feet wide, and possibly twice that, and with a linear extent exceeding one thousand feet, appears to have been very highly impregnated or mineralized by sulphurets, chiefly of iron, with a portion of copper, zinc and lead. The sulphurets have undergone almost total decomposition throughout the entire mass, leaving soft ochraceous deposits of a rusty red and yellow color, and staining the rocks with brilliant colors, a peculiarity which the miners have characterized by the name of “Calico rocks.” This decomposition or oxidation of the sulphurets, has extended to a point as low as atmospheric influences extend, or probably to a point where water is permanently found, which at Quail Hill is assumed to be about 170 feet below the outcrop of the mass, or crest of the hill. Dykes of porphyry and of other rocks, commonly called intrusive, are seen dividing these great ore channels in a direction conformable to the line of strike. But the decomposition which has affected other portions of the ore channel, appears also to have changed them, for they are found to be reduced completely to the condition of kaolin and lithomarge, or kindred alterations of feldspathic rocks. The outlines of the feldspar crystals are still easily distinguished, although the mass of the dykes is completely friable.

The zinc blende which is found in small quantities at Whisky Hill, and the vitreous copper also to some extent, appear to have escaped decomposition. The copper ores appear to have been confined to a portion of the deposit, as is indicated in the section exhibited, while the auriferous sulphuret of iron has been co-extensive with the ore channel, the cubical cavities left by the decay of its crystals being found in all the outcrops both in the quartz and in the ‘calico rocks,’ resulting from the decomposition of feldspathic and talcose or chloritic constituents.

Accompanying the entire mass of decomposition at both localities, occur both gold and silver, disseminated with remarkable uniformity in all parts of the orey ground. At Whisky Hill, films of metallic silver are visible upon the talcose masses stained green by malachite or chrysocolla; the gold is rarely seen in situ, being mostly obscured by the very rusty and highly-stained character of the associated materials. But it is rare that on washing a small quantity of any of the contents of these great deposits, gold is not found in angular grains or small ragged masses, from the size of a few grains’ weight, to impalpable dust. Nuggets of several pennyweights occur occasionally. This gold has evidently accompanied the sulphurets and been left in its present position and condition by their decomposition. There can be little doubt that the gold of the gulches adjoining these deposits has been derived from them. At Whisky Hill, the gulch gold ceases to be found as soon as the limits of this deposit are passed, and the same is true at Quail Hill. The occurrence of deposits of this nature throughout the range of the foot-hills, seems to offer the best solution which has suggested itself of the origin of the placer gold which is found in situations so far removed from the gold belt of the upper Sierras, and away from sources usually recognized as those to which placer gold may be referred.

Experiments made by myself and by others on a considerable scale, the details of which will appear elsewhere, show that the amount of the precious metals disseminated in the average mass of vein stuff and decomposed materials of every name at Quail Hill, is considerably in excess of the general average tenor of gold veins in California. The mean of my own trials gave to the ton of 2,000 lbs. by assay:

Gold $35.14 Silver 15.08 ------ $50.22

While from the working of carefully prepared averages in considerable quantity by milling process, the tenor of the precious metals was:

Gold $29.18 Silver 5.91 ------ $35.09

The extremely friable condition of the entire mass of these auriferous materials renders their extraction and treatment easy and comparatively inexpensive.

At Whisky Hill, a mill of forty stamps has been set up which is now running with satisfactory returns. The cost by contract of delivery of the ores to the mill, being stated at forty cents (40c.) per ton, the cost of mining and treatment in mill being considerably less, it is said, than one dollar per ton, the amount treated being five tons to each stamp.

The chemical results of the extensive decomposition of metallic sulphids which has in former times occurred at these localities, offer an interesting problem in chemical geology. The sulphur has been removed chiefly as sulphuric acid beyond doubt, which has combined with iron and copper to form sulphates of these metals. These have for the most part disappeared, being washed out by the atmospheric waters, and have followed the drainage of the country. At Whisky Hill I found the sulphate of iron, (Coquimbite) sulphate of copper, (Cyanosite) and alum. The water of the shaft contains copper enough to redden the iron tools. At Quail Hill considerable masses of heavy spar are found, formed probably from the action of soluble sulphates upon witherite. No gypsum was observed at either locality.

The mineral species observed at Whisky Hill, are as follows:

Metallic Gold. Metallic Copper. Metallic Silver. Red Copper. Malachite (Green Carbonate of Copper). Azurite (Blue Carbonate of Copper). Chrysocolla (Silicate of Copper). Cyanosite (Blue Vitriol). Copper Glance (Vitreous Copper). Zinc blende. Galena. Iron pyrites. Alum. Coquimbite. Heavy Spar. Hematite (chiefly the earthy varieties). Kaolin. Lithomarge and various aluminous and magnesian silicates resulting from the decomposition of the chloritic and talcose rocks.

The list of species is about the same for the deposit at Quail Hill.

The line of division between the ore-bearing ground in these great ore channels, and the country rock is quite distinctly seen on both the eastern and western outcrop at Quail Hill, and on the western at Whisky Hill. At the former place it is a dark bluish porphyritic rock, probably metamorphic, of a sandstone or silicious sediment. The outcroppings resemble those of many quartz veins, and I find the moss-covered portions of this quartzose matter full of cavities, resulting from the decay of pyrites, and yielding, by assay, three to five dollars to the ton in bullion.

From all the evidence presented, we seem justified in regarding these remarkable metallic deposits as segregated veins, holding a pretty uniform and high tenor of gold and silver, associated with and derived from the decomposition of extended masses of metallic sulphurets and quartzose matter, and carrying at times, ores of copper, the commercial value of which is, however, entirely subordinate to that of the precious metals which are found to characterize these veins or ore channels.

SAN FRANCISCO, April 15th, 1867.

Mr. Falkenau read a communication “On the Spirit of the Age and its Influence in the Department of the Natural Sciences.”

Mr. Bolander exhibited specimens of the _Apocynum_ found in Round Valley, on moist land subject to overflow. The Indians make extensive use of it for fish-lines and other purposes. The specimens presented were collected by Mr. J. S. Silver, of Humboldt Valley, Nevada.

A field excursion of the Academy was made, on Saturday, April 20th, to the hills near the Twelve-Mile House, on the San José Railroad. By the courtesy of Richard P. Hammond, Esq., General Superintendent of the road, free passes to go and return were furnished to the members participating in this excursion.

REGULAR MEETING, MAY 6TH, 1867.

President in the Chair.

Thirty-two members present.

Messrs. F. F. Thomas, Silas A. White, B. Smith, M. J. McDonald, Wm. Patten and Philip Prior, were elected Resident Members, and Dr. C. L. Anderson, of Santa Cruz, Cal., Henry Walter Bates, Assistant Secretary Royal Geographical Society of London, Prof. J. H. Balfour, of Edinburgh University, Dr. John Alexander Smith, F.R.S., of Edinburgh, James Haswell, M.A., of the Geological Society of Edinburgh, Capt. J. B. Caldbeck, F.R.G.S., of Singapore, and Sir Roderick I. Murchison, President of the Royal Geographical Society of London, were elected Corresponding Members.

Donations to the Library: Gold and Silver Tables, by L. Garnett; Catalogue of Casts of Fossils for sale by Prof. H. A. Ward, of Rochester University.

The Committee on Field Meetings reported on that of April 20th, near the Twelve-Mile House. Specimens of the fossils collected at the locality visited were exhibited by Mr. Yale, and remarks were made on the position and age of the strata there exposed, by Prof. Whitney, Dr. Cooper and Mr. Stearns. Mr. Lorquin mentioned the species of birds seen and collected during the excursion.

Mr. Stearns presented, in behalf of Mr. Rowell, the following description of a new species of _Pisidium_, collected during the field excursion to Angel Island:

Description of a New Species of Pisidium.

BY J. ROWELL.

_Pisidium angelicum_, Rowell.

Shell rounded oval, nearly equilateral, very convex; margin well rounded; beaks very slightly raised and very approximate; surface subgranulate, marked with from one to six very decided striæ or lines of growth; teeth too minute for observation.

Long. (of largest) 2 mill., Lat. 1.5 mill.; Diam. 1 mill.

_Habitat_: Angel Island.

Of California species, it is most like _P. abditum_, but differs in its sculpture, its less prominent beaks and its more globular and equilateral form. Most specimens are covered by an exceedingly persistent coat of jet black mud, making examination of them very difficult; but some are perfectly clean.

Mr. Stearns read the following note upon a recent

Exhibition of Parhelia.

On Wednesday, the 17th day of (April) last month, at about 5 o’clock in the afternoon, my attention was attracted towards the heavens by an exhibition of the rather unusual phenomena (unusual in this latitude) known as _Parhelia_.

The sky in the west at the time was somewhat cloudy, and the atmosphere hazy. I was unable to determine the exact position of the sun, but its altitude was approximately 22° above the horizon; the diameter of the circle or halo was about 24°. A horizontal line, drawn through the sun and projected sufficiently in a northerly and southerly direction to intersect the halo, displayed at each point of intersection, a _parhelion_ or mock sun of very considerable brilliancy, and continued for upwards of half an hour.

A much more extensive display of these phenomena was witnessed by me in the month of April, 1858, while residing near Boston, Massachusetts.

The sun was not far from the zenith, surrounded by a single broad halo, which latter was in turn inclosed by an outer circle of many halos all intersecting with each other and with the central halo—each of the numerous points of intersection gemmed with a _parhelion_. So extensive was the display, owing to the number of halos and the attendant _parhelia_, that the whole heavens from the zenith to within apparently 30° of the horizon, seemed covered with brilliant circles or rings, and resplendent with numberless suns. The sky, at the time, was obscured by a haze of considerable density, and a chilling wind was blowing from the south.

Some remarks followed upon sun and moon halos, during which Dr. Gibbons combated the popular notion that halos about the moon were infallible signs of rain. His observations proved that, in some seasons, these signs invariably failed in California, and at the East; he thought no rule could be established on the subject.

Mr. Goodyear presented the following paper in behalf of Professor Silliman:

Notice of New Localities of Diamonds in California.

BY B. SILLIMAN.

Every well-authenticated instance of the existence of the diamond in the United States is of interest, since it serves to enlarge our knowledge of the geographical and geological distribution of this much esteemed gem.

I have the pleasure of exhibiting to the Academy four diamonds, obtained from separate localities in this State. Three of them are crystals, having the form of an icositetrahedron; the other has been cut, and is set as a ring stone.

_The First Specimen_—Is from Forest Hill, in El Dorado County. Its weight is 0.369 gramme, or 5.673 grains—equal to rather less than 1½ carats. Its color is good, but it has a small cavity and discoloration on one of the solid angles, and it is less symmetrical than the second specimen. This crystal was found at a great depth from the surface in a tunnel run into the auriferous gravel at Forest Hill. I procured this stone from Mr. Tucker, the well-known jeweler.

_The Second Specimen_—Is from French Corral, in Nevada County. It weighs 0.3375 grammes, or 5.114 grains—equal to about 1⅓ carats. Its form is symmetrical, color slightly yellowish. Its lustre has been dimmed slightly by having been subjected to a red heat as a test of its authenticity. The _auto da fé_ is hardly the test a chemist would select for pure carbon! It is remarkably destitute of flaws. This crystal was washed out from the cement in the deep gravel washings for gold at French Corral, and was found in the sluice boxes. It belongs to Mr. Egbert Judson, of San Francisco, from whom I derive this information.

_The Third Specimen_—Is smaller and less perfect than either of the preceding. It was found at Fiddletown, in Amador County. It weighs 0.2345 gramme, or 3.619 grains—a little less than one carat. This crystal is distorted, and has several reëntering angles and cavities. Mr. M. W. Belshaw, to whom it belongs, informs me that since 1855, five diamonds have, to his knowledge, been found at Fiddletown, where he then resided; none of them weighing much over one carat. All these specimens were found in a gray cemented gravel underlying a stratum of “lava” or compact volcanic ashes, and were found in searching for gold.

_The Fourth Specimen_—Is from Cherokee Flat, in Butte County, and has been cut and set in a ring. Mr. Geo. E. Smith, of 605 Montgomery Street, San Francisco, who is an expert in diamonds and owns the specimen exhibited, informs me that he has seen fifteen crystals from this locality, and has authentic advices of at least forty, all of which have been found in deep gravel washings, and are believed to come from a stratum of about three feet thick, forming part of a mass of twenty-five to fifty feet of superincumbent material. When this special stratum of sandy materials is washed, the diamonds have been found. I have taken steps to obtain an authentic crystal from this place, which appears to be the most prolific locality of the diamond yet observed in California.

In the first volume of the Geology of California, page 276, Mr. Rémond is quoted as authority for the existence of diamonds at Volcano. If this locality is distinct from that at Fiddletown, near Volcano, we have at present, five authenticated localities of the diamond in California, from which specimens have been identified by mineralogists.

If a knowledge of the characteristics of this remarkable species was more common among the miners who work in the deep gravel diggings, no doubt this gem would be found to be more abundant and in more numerous places than is now suspected.

SAN FRANCISCO, May 6th, 1867.

Professor Whitney, in reply to various inquiries made by members, remarked that there were probably some fifteen or twenty different localities in California where diamonds had been found; but these were all of small size, the largest which had come under his notice weighing only 7¼ grains: this was found at French Corral, near San Juan North. It was difficult to give any directions by which miners could infallibly recognize the diamond when they happened to meet with this gem. The crystalline form is very different from that of quartz, which is now, however, much less frequently mistaken for the diamond than it was formerly. Most of the crystals found in California, up to this time, have been twenty-four sided. The fact that the faces of the crystals are usually curved instead of being plane surfaces, is also characteristic of the gem in question. The hardness and specific gravity are also sure guides; but miners rarely have the means of getting at either of these characters accurately. It is commonly believed that the diamond can be struck a heavy blow, on an anvil, without breaking; but this is a mistake, resulting from confounding toughness with hardness. It is extremely doubtful whether washing the gravel for diamonds in California would pay, under any circumstances; and it is believed that such washings are not remunerative anywhere, except when performed by slave or convict labor.

Professor Whitney read a paper on the geological position of coal. The object of this paper was to show how completely the results of modern geological explorations and discoveries had done away with the old idea that valuable beds of coal are confined to any one member of the series of geological formations. The recent investigations of geologists in India, China, Australia, New Zealand, South America, and on the Pacific coast of North America, were noticed and commented on. It was shown that while the important coal fields of Eastern Europe and the Eastern United States are of palæozoic age, those of India, China and Australia, on the other hand, belong to the mesozoic series chiefly, although there are important deposits even as recent as the cainozoic or tertiary. Professor Whitney remarked on the distribution of the principal coal fields of the world into two great groups, on opposite sides of the globe: one of these is of palæozoic, and the other of mesozoic age. He referred particularly to the coal of the Pacific coast of North America, and gave a brief account of its geographical distribution and geological age, noticing particularly the fact that most of the valuable fields of that region belong to the cretaceous series, a geological formation which, in other parts of the world, has been found to be one of the most barren in combustible materials. In conclusion, the importance of coal discoveries in the region between the Rocky Mountains and California to the successful operation of the Pacific Railroad was explained, and the hope expressed that the geological expedition recently set on foot by the General Government, at the head of which is Mr. King, late of the California Survey, might be the means of giving to the world reliable information in regard to the coal resources of that region, of which we now know so little.

Prof. Whitney presented an elaborate paper “On the Natural System of the Igneous Rocks,” by Baron Richthofen; he advised its reference to the Publication Committee, and that it should be made one of the “Memoirs” which the Academy contemplates publishing. It was so referred, and the committee was instructed to report on the feasibility of commencing the publication of a series of quarto Memoirs.

Prof. Whitney exhibited a canine tooth, obtained from the deep gravel deposits at Douglas Flat, near Murphy’s, in Calaveras County; it appears to be different from the teeth of any animal yet found on this coast, either living or fossil. He considered it as probably belonging to the hyæna; if so, this was the first notice of the occurrence of this animal on the American continent.

Dr. Cooper stated that Mr. Ridgeway, the zoölogist appointed to accompany the Government exploration of Russian America, when on that coast, a few years since, had found birds nearly identical with living species in Asia—a fact of much interest, since none of the same species are found on the eastern coast of America. There is here another suggestion of the former intimate relations between Western America and Eastern Asia.

REGULAR MEETING, MAY 20TH, 1867.

Vice President Ransom in the Chair.

Twenty-nine members present.

Messrs. John P. Cairns, J. W. C. Maxwell, Constantine Heusch, William Fischel, E. W. Burr, Archibald C. Peachy, J. P. H. Wentworth, C. P. Stanford, Henry Gibbons, Jr., M.D., and P. M. Randall, M.D., were elected Resident Members.

Donations to the Cabinet: Fossils from Mission Peak, Alameda County, by Mr. Bosqui; and from Japan, by Mr. Lorquin.

Donations to the Library: Jahrbuch der k. k. geologischen Reichsanstalt, Band XVI, No. 2, 1866. Bulletins de l’Académie Royale de Belgique, (2) XX, XXI, 1865-6. Annuaire, (of the same) 1866. Meteorologisch Jaarboek, uitgegeven door het kön. Nederlandsch Meteorologisch Instituut, 1865; two parts, long 4to, Utrecht, 1866. Die Regenverhältnisse des Königreichs Hannover, &c., von Dr. M. A. F. Prestel, Emden, 1864. Festschrift der naturforschenden Gesellschaft zu Emden, 4to pamphlet, Emden. Einundfünfzigster Jahresbericht der naturf. Gesells. zu Emden, 1865; 8vo pamphlet, 1866. Schriften der Gesells. zur Beförderung der gesammten Naturwissenschaften zu Marburg, Supplement Heft, (Claus, die Copepoden Fauna von Nizza) 4to, 1866. Monatsbericht der kön. Preuss. Akademie der Wiss. zu Berlin, 1865. Bulletin de l’Académie Impériale des Sciences de St. Petersbourg, Tome IX, Feuilles 1-36. Mémoires de l’Académie Impériale des Sciences de St. Petersbourg, Tome IX, (complete) X, 1. Sur l’Etat de l’Atmosphere à Bruxelles, pendant l’Année 1865, par M. Ernest Quetelet. Geographical Catalogue of the Mollusca found west of the Rocky Mountains, prepared for the State Geological Survey, by J. G. Cooper, M.D. Burton’s City of the Saints, presented by Gregory Yale, Esq.

Mr. Stearns read a paper entitled “Ancient Mining on Lake Superior,” which reading was followed by a discussion on that subject, in which Dr. Cooper, Mr. Yale, Mr. Stearns and Mr. White took part.

Mr. Bolander exhibited a portion of a branch of _Pinus tuberculata_, and commented on the fact that two whorls of cones had been formed in last year’s growth. Drs. Behr, Kellogg and Gibbons discussed various questions suggested by Mr. Bolander’s remarks.

REGULAR MEETING, JUNE 3D, 1867.

Vice President Stearns in the Chair.

Twenty-five members present.

Messrs. Tryon Reakirt, of Philadelphia, and Lorenzo G. Yates, of Alameda County, were elected Corresponding Members; and Messrs. G. H. Mumford and A. S. Gould, Resident Members.

Donations to the Cabinet: A Horned Frog, by G. Yale, Esq.; Specimen of _Cladophorus_ from Fort Point, by Dr. Stivers; Section of the bark of _Sequoia sempervirens_, by Dr. W. P. Gibbons.

Mr. Stearns announced the death of M. Auguste Rémond, a member of the Academy, and formerly of the State Geological Survey.

Mr. Bosqui presented a communication from Mr. L. G. Yates, in regard to the remains of an elephant found near Mission San José.

Dr. W. P. Gibbons read a communication on the remains of a redwood forest in the Coast Range east of San Francisco. The subject of this paper was discussed by several of the members present.

Mr. Nystrom presented a paper on the origin of the Table Mountain in Tuolumne and Calaveras counties.

REGULAR MEETING, JUNE 17TH, 1867.

Vice President Ransom in the Chair.

Twenty members present.

Donation to the Cabinet: Specimens obtained in excavating on the Beideman tract, by G. Yale.

Mr. Gabb presented a communication on the “Geology of Lower California,” which was referred to the Publication Committee, and ordered printed as one of the Memoirs of the Academy.

Mr. Gabb also communicated the following translation of part of a letter received by him from Sr. Don Antonio Raimondi, of Lima, Peru, with reference to some geological features of that country:

I have just received a letter from Professor Raimondi, accompanying a very interesting collection of fossils, sent through my lamented friend Mr. Rémond, but which I have not yet received. After remarking that he had not time to write a detailed account of the country to assist me in my determinations of the geological ages, he gives the following condensed but interesting description of the country, which I have considered of sufficient value to warrant its immediate publication. I translate this portion of the letter in full.

“Peru, or at least the great chain of the Cordillera which divides the whole of America into two parts, comprises various smaller chains, often very high, and here consisting of four, nearly parallel. The principal of these are two, one of which is the dividing line between the waters emptying into the Pacific on one side, and the tributaries of the Amazon on the other. This is what is properly called the Cordillera of the Andes, or the Western Cordillera. The other chain is called the Eastern Cordillera, and in some points is as elevated or even surpasses in height the true Cordillera. In the southern part of Peru, for example, it is entirely covered with perpetual snow, and contains very elevated peaks, including, in that part which is prolonged into Bolivia, the two colossi called Sorata, or Illampu and Illimani. The Eastern Cordillera is of the greater geological age, appearing to be entirely composed of micaceous and talcose schists which have been metamorphosed by the elevation of the granites, those which have also introduced into these schists numerous veins of quartz, which in some places are quite rich in gold. This elevated chain has been cut very deeply by numerous rivers, which, taking their origin in the Western Cordillera, traverse these immense formations of schists and granite through narrow gorges, and unite to form the large affluents of the Amazon.

“The Western Cordillera or true chain of the Andes is made up in nearly the whole of its length of rocks of a much more recent age. The principal formations are Cretaceous, Jurassic, Lias and Trias. Another group of rocks, probably Carboniferous, form the great basin of Lake Titicaca and a small spot on the heights of Huanta. This Cordillera has been metamorphosed by various eruptive rocks, the principal of which are porphyries and diorites. These have introduced innumerable metalliferous veins, rich in lead, copper and silver, and which have been worked in many places.

“The volcanic rocks are strongly developed in Peru, especially in the southern part, and have never been well studied. According to my opinion, they once formed an extensive chain, which, from its being composed of rocks easily disintegrated, has been in great part destroyed by the action of water, so that it is separated mostly by isolated hills; but from all that I have been able to see, it must have formed at one time an uninterrupted chain, as it appears in the central part of Peru, at a little distance from the Pacific Ocean, and afterwards it approaches almost insensibly the true Cordilleras; so that, near Arequipa, it is more than twenty leagues from the sea, but in following it to the south it nears the Cordillera, extending to Cruzalia, in the broken country of Moqueque and Tacna.

“Along the whole length of the coast, at a distance of one or two leagues from the margin of the ocean, rises a small chain of hills formed of granite, syenites and porphyries. This chain is called ‘the Hills’ (Lomas) and contains in places scattered spots of copper and a very little gold. On the same coast and on the adjacent islands, sedimentary rocks are rare, though they are nevertheless found at rare intervals. To the north, sedimentary rocks extend from Tumbes to the south of Payta, at the little cove of Tortugas, where there are many springs of fresh water in a hardened claystone, alternating with calcareous strata, which contain little seams of coal.

“From Secharra, to near Lima there is no sedimentary formation. Near the port of Ancon, five leagues from Lima, in the island of San Lorenzo, near Callao, and in Chorillo, three leagues south of Lima, there are some stratified sandstones with a very few fossils. These formations appear to us to be either Jurassic or Liassic, but the study of the few fossils found will determine better their age.

“Near Arica, and three leagues to the interior from Iquique, where are the celebrated silver mines of Huantapaya, there have also been noticed sedimentary rocks belonging to the Oolite and Lias.

“In the elevated regions of the Cordillera are many traces of stone coal which, unlike those in the formation about Lake Titicaca, which I have already said belong to the true Carboniferous, are all of more recent age, belonging to the Jurassic and Liassic, as you will see by specimens from the Springs of Pariatambo.”

REGULAR MEETING, JULY 1ST, 1867.

Vice President Ransom in the Chair.

Twenty members present.

Donations to the Cabinet: Native oysters, (_O. laticaudata_), also varieties of _Purpura lactuca_, from Dr. Cooper; cone of _Pinus contorta_, and branch and fruit of _Garrya elliptica_ from Port Trinidad; eggs, cocoon, and animal of the California silkworm, (_Saturnia Californica_) by Dr. Lanszweert; _Aristolochia Californica_, from Angel Island, by Mr. E. Brooks.

Mr. Stearns read a note from Professor W. P. Blake, stating that the fossil vertebræ which he exhibited at the meeting of November 18th, 1866, were not those of saurians, as he had supposed, but of one of the larger forms of _Delphinidæ_.

Mr. Stearns exhibited specimens of _Haliotis_ from Monterey, which were evidently hybrid forms. Some remarks on the peculiarities and geographical distribution of these mollusks were made by Messrs. Stearns and Cooper.

Dr. W. P. Gibbons made some additional remarks, supplementary to his communication, at a previous meeting, on the extinct redwood forests of the Coast Ranges on the east side of the Bay of San Francisco. These remarks were followed by a discussion in which Messrs. Cooper, Kellogg, Bolander, Veatch, and Stearns took part.

REGULAR MEETING, JULY 15TH, 1867.

Vice President Ransom in the Chair.

Twenty-five members present.

Messrs. W. A. S. Nicholson, A. B. Stout, M.D., and C. W. McCormick, M.D., were elected Resident Members.

Donation to the Cabinet: Specimen of asbestos, from L. Ransom, Esq.

A collection of the shells of California, comprising in part the specimens belonging to the Academy and which had been sent to Mr. Carpenter to be named, was exhibited by Dr. Cooper, by whom they had been arranged for the Museum.

Dr. Gibbons made some remarks on the effects of the earthquake of October 6th, at Watsonville. He also spoke of the absence of worms from California fruit; and his remarks were followed by a discussion of the subject, in which Drs. Cooper and Behr took part.

Messrs. Stearns and Yale made some remarks on the ancient mines of the Lake Superior region, and the race by which they had probably been worked.

REGULAR MEETING, AUGUST 5TH, 1867.

Vice President Ransom in the Chair.

Twenty-three members present.

Donations to the Cabinet: A specimen of a Sole, from Dr. Behr; four hundred specimens of Chilean Plants, from Mr. Bolander.

Mr. Bolander gave an account of a recent visit made by himself to Humboldt County, and of his botanical observations in that region. The subject of the geographical range of the forest trees on this coast was discussed by Messrs. Behr, Cooper, Yale, Bloomer, and Williamson.

Dr. Gibbons called attention to the meteoric display to be expected about the tenth of the current month.

REGULAR MEETING, AUGUST 19TH, 1867.

Vice President Ransom in the chair.

Twenty members present.

Donations to the Cabinet: Fossils from Purissima, by Mr. Yale.

Donations to the Library: Memoirs of the National Academy of Sciences, Vol. I, 4to, Washington, 1866, and Annuals of the same for 1863, 1864, 1865, and 1866.

The subject of the distribution of forest vegetation was discussed by Messrs. Bloomer and Cooper.

Dr. H. Gibbons made some remarks on the distribution of clear and cloudy days throughout the year at San Francisco.

Mr. Stearns exhibited a species of Pholas, and made some remarks on its methods of boring. Dr. Cooper made some observations on the same subject.

REGULAR MEETING, SEPTEMBER 2D, 1867.

President in the chair.

Twenty members present.

Donations to the Library: Washington Astronomical Observations for 1864, 4to, Washington, 1867. Report on Interoceanic Canals and Railroads between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, 8vo, 1867. Speech of Hon. Charles Sumner on the Cession of Russian America.

A letter from George Gibbs, Esq., transmitted through the Smithsonian, and urging the importance of collecting Indian crania on this coast, was read and commented on by Professor Whitney. He also exhibited a part of a jaw of _Oreodon_, sent from Montana, by Mr. Keyes. The precise locality where it was said to have been found is about twenty miles northeast of Bannock City, on Rattlesnake Creek, a branch of the Beaver Head. If there is no mistake in the locality, this is a very interesting occurrence, as the existence of these tertiary deposits characterized by bones of extinct mammalia (the White River beds) was not before known as far west, or at as high an elevation, as this.

Professor Whitney gave an account of his recent visit to Oregon, Washington Territory, Vancouver Island, and British Columbia. He spoke particularly of the volcanoes of that region, and remarked that he had ascertained, by rough trigonometrical measurements, that Mount Hood was at least two thousand feet lower than Mount Shasta. He was about to ascend the first-named peak, in order to measure it barometrically; but, on learning that Colonel Williamson was intending to do the same thing, during the present season, he proposed to await that gentleman’s measurement, the result of which could not fail to be accepted by all as eminently trustworthy. Professor Whitney remarked that his journey had been undertaken chiefly with a view to the study of the “surface-geology,” and that he would, on a future occasion, bring before the Academy the results of his observations.

Mr. Bolander made some remarks on the distribution of the redwoods and Big Trees in California, and exhibited a map, prepared at the office of the Geological Survey, on which the extent and position of the regions occupied by these two species of Sequoia were shown by colors.

Dr. Ayres remarked on explosive sounds heard by him recently, during perfectly clear weather, in the vicinity of Borax Lake. They seemed to come from beneath the surface, and recalled the subterranean explosions or noises mentioned in the Geology of California, Vol. I, as having been heard in the vicinity of Mount Helena.

REGULAR MEETING, SEPTEMBER 16TH, 1867.

Vice President Ransom in the chair.

Twelve members present.

Donation to the Cabinet: Twenty-eight mineralogical specimens from Dr. A. B. Stout; mineralogical specimens from Mount Hood, by Col. R. S. Williamson.

The following paper was read:

On the Height of Mt. Hood.

BY R. S. WILLIAMSON.

Having recently formed a party and visited Mt. Hood for the purpose of ascertaining its altitude, and as my determination of its height is much less than previous parties have made it, I think it proper to state somewhat in detail the nature of the observations and the method I have pursued to arrive at the number I adopt as a close approximation to its true height.

By the kindness of Gen. F. Steele, commanding the Department of the Columbia, the necessary transportation was furnished for the party, consisting of twelve persons, of whom my two assistants, Lieut. W. H. Heuer, U. S. Engineers, and Mr. John T. Best, were specially charged with the observations on the summit. We left Portland, Oregon, August 20th, and on the evening of the twenty-second arrived at a place on the slope of the mountain, where we camped, and from which, the next day, the ascent was made; seven of the party attempting to reach, and six reaching, the summit, where they remained from one and a-half to three hours.

From this camp to the summit and back ten hours were occupied, starting at 7:30, A.M. The weather was clear and pleasant, and had been so for several days before, and was so for several days after.

The instruments used at all the stations were made by James Green, of New York, were in perfect order, and most of them new. They consisted of cistern barometers reading to two thousandths of an inch, with attached thermometer, and open air thermometer, (dry and wet) with large divisions, so that they were easily read to tenths of a degree. All the barometers had been adjusted to or compared with the standard, and all agreed with it except the one at Astoria, which required a plus correction of three thousandths of an inch.

The stations used were Astoria, Fort Vancouver, Fort Dalles, camp on slope of Mt. Hood, and summit of Mt. Hood. Observations had been taken for several years at Astoria for me by Louis Wilson, U. S. Tidal Observer, at 7, A.M., 2, P.M., and 9, P.M., of every day, besides hourly observations for ten days or more of each month. The cistern of this barometer is fifty-three feet above mean low tide.

At Fort Vancouver observations of the same character were commenced July 1st of this year, and are still going on. At Fort Dalles similar observations have been made since July 10th.

The observations at the camp on the mountain slope were commenced at 7, P.M., on August 22d, and continued hourly (with few omissions) until 8, A.M., on the twenty-fourth. The barometer at the summit was hung up at 1:30, P.M., and allowed to stand a half hour in free air, but protected from the direct rays of the sun. It was then adjusted and observed at 2, P.M., 2:15, P.M., and 2:30, P.M., by Mr. Heuer and Mr. Best, independently, and the two records as shown to me were essentially the same. The mean reading of the barometer reduced to 32° Fahrenheit, was 19,941 inches, with an _observed_ air temperature of 41°.7, and wet bulb of 31°.3. The height of Fort Vancouver above Astoria was computed from the mean of the simultaneous observations taken during the months of July and August. The height of the Dalles above Fort Vancouver was deduced from the corresponding observations during twenty-one days in July, together with those for the month of August. The height of the camp on the mountain slope above Fort Vancouver, and also the height of that camp above Fort Dalles, were then separately computed from the daily means of the observations taken at the three stations during August 23d. The difference between the two should give the same result as by the direct calculations between Fort Vancouver and Fort Dalles; but on account of the short period observed on the mountain camp, a plus correction of a little over eight feet was found necessary to the estimated height of that camp to make the three results agree.

It then remained only to calculate the height of the summit of Mount Hood above the mountain camp. The mean of the three observations of the barometer was assumed as the nearest approximation we can have to the mean pressure for that day, as the horary oscillation at the summit is unknown. With regard to the mean temperature for that day, we have no positive data to determine it. We cannot take the observed temperature, as the observations were taken during the hottest part of the day.

By consulting the hourly observations of the thermometer at the camp, I find the range there is between 63° and 43°.7, or nearly 20°; and supposing nearly as great a range of temperature on the summit, I have assumed the mean temperature then for that day to be 34°.

The following is the final result of the computations:

STATIONS. INTER. ALTS. SEA LINE.

Sea level at mean low tide — 0 Astoria 53 53 Fort Vancouver 79 132 Camp on mountain slope 5,820 5,952 Summit of Mount Hood 5,273 11,225

The computations are made with new tables which will shortly be published, and which give results similar to Plantamour’s formula, based on Regnault’s constants. They give results somewhat higher than if Guyot’s tables had been used, the latter giving the height of the summit, 11,185 feet.

On our return I took a single observation at what is called “Government Camp,” about four miles below the camp on the mountain slope, and another at a place called Stumpville, some eight miles further on the road towards Portland. The results give for the former place 3,864 feet, and for the latter 1,830 feet above the sea level.

The instruments used on the mountain have been returned in excellent order, and compared with the one at Fort Vancouver with most satisfactory results.

It may be asked: Why is it that the results here given differ so widely from some previous estimates? Mount Hood is said to be, by Mitchell’s School Atlas, 18,361 feet, and the Rev. Geo. H. Atkinson with a party, ascended to the summit in August of last year, boiled water with a spirit-lamp, found that the thermometer read 180°, and therefore concludes the mountain is 17,600 feet, and Government Camp 4,400 feet above the sea. The reason is, that the instruments used are unreliable, and this method of computing the altitude defective. With a boiling point apparatus (or thermo-barometer as it is called) of the most approved kind, the results by boiling water are far inferior to those by the cistern barometer; but if the observations are made with a common thermometer, with small spaces for degrees, as was the case in this instance, and the instrument not protected from drafts of air, the results are utterly unreliable, and therefore worse than worthless.

Apart from the observations here described, there are other evidences to show that the determination of the height of this mountain here given is not underestimated. Col. B. C. Smith, one of our party who reached the summit, had this year ascended Mount Shasta, a mountain measured by Prof. Whitney to be 14,440 feet. The Colonel states that he feels confident, from the comparative ease with which he ascended Mount Hood, that it is of much less altitude than Mount Shasta.

On Mount Hood butterflies were found within a thousand feet of the summit. Finally, Prof. Whitney and others, from rough triangulations, have estimated it be about 12,000 feet.

It is to be hoped that other parties with good instruments will take further observations on this mountain. As the height of Fort Vancouver and Fort Dalles are known, and as these are now permanent meteorological stations, further observations on Mount Hood can be referred to one of these stations as a base, and good results obtained.

While another set of such observations may produce slightly different results, I think they will not differ one hundred feet from the estimate here given.

Dr. Gibbons exhibited a specimen of _Euphorbia lathyris_, and remarked upon its distinguishing characters.

REGULAR MEETING, OCTOBER 7TH, 1867.

Dr. J. G. Cooper in the chair.

Twelve members present.

Donation to the Cabinet: Salt from a manufactory on the Columbia River, near Portland, Oregon, by Mr. Victor.

REGULAR MEETING, OCTOBER 21ST, 1867.

President in the Chair.

Twenty-three members present.

Mr. J. G. Burt was elected a Resident, and Professor W. D. Alexander, of Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands, a Corresponding Member.

Donation to the Cabinet: A large number of Californian plants, collected and presented by Messrs. Bolander and Kellogg.

Donations to the Library: Humboldt and Bonpland’s Botanical Observations in South America, four vols. 8vo., Paris, 1822, by Mr. Bolander.

Professor Whitney read extracts from letters recently received from Mr. Dall, dated at “St. Michael’s, Russian America, August 14th, 1867,” and addressed to the Academy and to himself. The following are some extracts from these letters:

“I have traveled on snow shoes, with the thermometer from 8° to 40° below zero, about four hundred miles. I have paddled in open canoes up stream six hundred and fifty miles, and down 1,300 miles. I have obtained 4,550 specimens, including a set of the rocks from Fort Youkon to the sea, sufficient to determine the geological formations for 1,300 miles. The only fossiliferous beds are on the Youkon, and they extend about sixty miles. They are brown sandstones, containing bivalve mollusca and vegetable remains. There is a small seam of coal thirty miles below the bend, and thin shale above and below. The coal is of good quality; but there is so little of it that it is worthless. These are the only fossiliferous strata I have thus far found. The rocks above and below are all azoic and nonstratified, excepting a little hard blue or black slate. Granite, and especially mica, are very rare. I found a pebble containing the well known fossils of the Niagara limestone on the beach near Fort Youkon. Fossil wood and bones and teeth of _Elephas_ and _Ovibos moschatus_ are common over the country. There is a broad patch of volcanic eruptive rock on the river near the lower bend, and it extends to the sea. The islands of St. Michael and Stuart are formed of it, and it is roughly columnar on the former near the Fort.”

“I have looked carefully for glacial traces, and so far have found absolutely none.”

Mr. Dall adds that it is his intention to spend another year in Russian America, working at his own expense, in order to finish the explorations commenced by himself, and which the failure of the Telegraph Company rendered it impossible for him to continue officially.

Dr. Cooper and Professor Whitney discussed the question whether the volcanoes of Oregon and Washington Territory were to be classed as active. The evidence on this point seemed very conflicting, so far as showers of ashes are concerned. There is no doubt, however, of the existence of solfataric action on Mount Hood, Mount St. Helens, and probably on Rainier and Baker.

Professor Whitney exhibited some photographs and stereographs, taken for the Geological Survey by Mr. W. Harris, in the Upper Tuolumne Valley, near Soda Springs, Mount Dana, Mount Hoffmann, and Mount Lyell. He also presented the following account of a remarkable portion of the Tuolumne Valley, which forms almost an exact counterpart of the Yosemite. It is by Mr. Hoffmann, the head of a party of the Geological Survey, by which it was explored last summer:

Notes on Hetch-Hetchy Valley.

BY C. F. HOFFMANN.

Tuolumne Valley, or Hetch-Hetchy, as it is called by the Indians (the meaning of this word I was unable to ascertain) is situated on Tuolumne River about fifteen miles in a straight line below Tuolumne Meadows and Soda Springs, and about twelve miles north of Yosemite Valley. Its elevation above the sea is from 3,800 to 3,900 feet, a little less than that of Yosemite. The valley is three miles long running nearly east and west, with but little fall in this distance. Near its center it is cut in two by a low spur of shelving granite coming from the south. The lower part forms a large open meadow with excellent grass, one mile in length, and gradually increasing from ten chains to a little over half a mile in width, and only timbered along the edges. The lower part of this meadow terminates in a very narrow cañon, the hills sloping down to the river at an angle of from 40° to 60°, only leaving a channel from six to ten feet wide; the river in the valley having an average width of about fifty feet. This is the principal cause of the overflow in spring time of the lower part of the valley, and probably also has given rise to the report of there being a large lake in the valley. Below this cañon is another small meadow, with a pond. The upper part of Hetch-Hetchy, east of the granite spur, forms a meadow one and three-fourths miles in length, varying from ten to thirty chains in width, well timbered and affording good grazing. The scenery resembles very much that of the Yosemite, although the bluffs are not as high, nor do they extend as far. On the north side of the valley, opposite the granite spur we first have a perpendicular bluff, the top of which is 1,800 feet above the valley; the talus at the base is about five hundred feet above the valley, leaving a precipice of about 1,300 feet. In the spring when the snows are melting a large creek precipitates itself over the western part of this bluff. I was told that this fall is one of the grandest features of the valley, sending its spray all over its lower portion. It was dry, however, at the time of my visit. The fall is 1,000 feet perpendicular, after which it strikes the debris and loses itself among the rocks. About thirty chains further east we come to the Hetch-Hetchy fall; its height above the valley is 1,700 feet. This fall is not perpendicular, although it appears so from the front, as may be seen from the photograph by Mr. Harris. It falls in a series of cascades at an angle of about 70°. At the time of my visit the volume of water was much greater than that of Yosemite fall, and I was told that in the spring its roarings can be heard for miles.

Still further east we have two peaks, shaped very much like “The Three Brothers,” in the Yosemite. Their base forms a large, naked and sloping granite wall on the north side of the valley, broken by two timbered shelves, which run horizontally the whole length of the wall. Up to the lower shelf or bend, about eight hundred feet high, the wall, which slopes at an angle of from 45° to 70°, is polished by glaciers, and probably these markings extend still higher up, as on entering the valley the trail followed back of and along a moraine for several miles, the height of which was about 1,200 feet above the valley. The same polish shows itself in places all along the bluffs on both sides, and particularly fine on the granite spur crossing the valley. There is no doubt that the largest branch of the great glacier which originated near Mt. Dana and Mount Lyell, made its way by Soda Springs to this valley. A singular feature of this valley is the total absence of talus or debris at the base of the bluffs, excepting at one place in front of the falls. Another remarkable rock, corresponding with Cathedral Rock in the Yosemite, stands on the south side of the valley, directly opposite Hetch-Hetchy fall; its height is 2,270 feet above the valley. The photograph by Mr. Harris will give some idea of this rock.

At the upper end of the valley the river forks, one branch, nearly as large as the main river, coming from near Castle Peak, the main river itself from Soda Springs. About half a mile up the main cañon, the river forms some cascades, the highest being about thirty feet.

The valley was first visited, in 1850, by Mr. Joseph Screech, a mountaineer of this region, who found it occupied by Indians. This gentleman informed me that, up to a very recent date, this valley was disputed ground between the Pah Utah Indians from the eastern slope and the Big Creek Indians from the western slope of the Sierras; they had several fights, in which the Pah Utahs proved victorious. The latter still visit the valley every fall to gather acorns, which abound in this locality. Here I may also mention that the Indians speak of a lake of very salt water on their trail from here to Castle Peak. Mr. Screech also informed me of the existence of a fall, about a hundred feet high, on the Tuolumne River, about four miles below this valley, and which prevents fish from coming up any higher. The climate is said to be milder in winter than that of the Yosemite Valley, as is also indicated by a larger number of oaks and a great number of _Pinus Sabiniana_. The principal tree of the valley is _Pinus ponderosa_; besides this we have _P. Sabiniana_, Cedar, _Q. Sonomensis_, _Q. crassipocula_; also poplar and cottonwood.

The valley can be reached easily from Big Oak Flat by taking the regular Yosemite trail, by Sprague’s Ranch and Big Flume, as far as Mr. Hardin’s fence, between south and middle fork of Tuolumne River, about eighteen miles from Big Oak Flat. Here the trail turns off to the left, going to Wade’s Meadows or Big Meadows, sometimes called Reservoir Meadows, the distance being about seven miles. From Wade’s Ranch the trail crosses the middle fork of Tuolumne and goes to the Hog Ranch, five miles; thence up divide between the middle fork and main river, about two miles, to another little ranch called “The Cañon.” From here the trail winds down through rocks for six miles to Tuolumne Cañon. This trail is well blazed, and was made by Mr. Screech and others, for the purpose of driving sheep and cattle to the valley. The whole distance from Big Oak Flat is thirty-eight miles.

Another trail equally good, but a little longer, leaves the Yosemite trail about half a mile beyond the crossing of the south fork, thence crosses the middle fork within about one and a half miles of the south fork crossing, and follows up the divide between the middle fork and the main river, joining the first-named trail at the Hog Ranch.

REGULAR MEETING, NOVEMBER 4TH, 1867.

President in the Chair.

Thirty members present.

George C. Johnson was elected a Resident Member.

Donations to the Cabinet: Two packages of plants from France and Australia, by Mr. Bolander; these plants were collected by Dr. F. Müller, Director of the Botanical Garden at Melbourne, and by Réné Le Normand, of Vire, France, and sent to Mr. Bolander in exchange for Californian plants.

Dr. J. Blake read the following:

On the Organs of Copulation in the Male of the Embiotocoid Fishes.

BY JAMES BLAKE, M.D., F.R.C.S.

Some months since I presented a communication to the Academy pointing out the manner in which the fœtus of the embiotocoid fishes was nourished whilst it was being developed within the ovisac. (See p. 314.) I there stated that the ingress of water into the ovisac would not take place at all freely, as the organ communicated with the surface by a narrow canal surrounded by muscular fibres. This structure of the oviduct would evidently oppose an obstacle to the entrance of the semen into the ovisac for the purpose of impregnation, unless some means exist by which the ventral surfaces of the fish can be maintained in contact during the act of copulation, as the penis consists of a slightly developed tubercle which cannot penetrate for any distance into the oviduct. From the direction of the orifices of the penis and oviduct it is evident that anything like a perfect contact of these organs can only be maintained whilst the fishes are in a reversed position, so that the head of one fish is towards the tail of the other. In order that contact may be maintained whilst in this position, we find the caudal fin of the male fish furnished with certain appendages which enable it to give a firm hold to the ventral fins of the female, so that close contact of the ventral surfaces can be maintained. These appendages are of two kinds. In _Embiotoca_, _Damolichthys_ and some other genera, we find a well developed mammary elevation situated near the anterior part of the anal fin on both sides, terminating in front by a teat-like process. In _Amphisticus_, _Holconotus_ and some other genera, this mammary appendage is wanting; but its place is supplied by a bony transverse plate with serrated edges, inserted in the fin some distance farther back and parallel to the fin rays. In addition to these plates there are also found cartilaginous ridges with roughened borders, placed in front of the plates, and running parallel with the edge of the fin. I think there can be no doubt but that these fin appendages serve the purpose I have assigned to them, for on placing the fish in the reversed position, with the orifice of the oviduct and penis in contact, it will be seen that they enable the ventral fins of the female to secure a firm hold on the anal fin of the male, so as to keep the fish in contact during the process of copulation. At the season of copulation, the anterior surface of the anal fin in the male becomes covered with a thick layer of firm epithelium. As this commences at a short distance from the ventral attachment of the fin, a well marked groove is formed at the base of the fin, which affords an additional hold for the ventral fin of the female. After the season of copulation is over, and the testicles regain their quiescent state, this epithelium almost disappears. At the same time the mammary sack diminishes very much in size, so that when the testicles are reduced to their smallest size, hardly a trace of the sack remains. One or the other of these forms of appendages have been found on the anal fin of the male in all the species of embiotocoid fishes I have examined.

Mr. Stearns exhibited some fossils collected by Mr. Schmidt near Orleans Bar, Klamath County.

Professor Whitney exhibited some peculiar ores from Nevada and Mexico. Those from Nevada were antimoniate of lead, containing considerable silver. This occurs in Humboldt County, and in sufficiently large quantities to be mined and smelted, with success as is stated, the value of the silver being about $100 per ton. The Mexican ore is a pure oxide of antimony, which will be more fully described hereafter. It occurs in several mines in the northern provinces.

Professor Whitney made some remarks on the mineral species occurring in California and on the Pacific Coast of America in general. The following is an abstract of these remarks:

He stated that the number of minerals occurring in California, and on the Pacific coast in general, taking the country from Northern Mexico to British Columbia, was quite small in proportion to the area of the region. Especially among the silicates is there a great deficiency in species, and very few of those which do occur are found of sufficiently well crystallized form to be valuable as cabinet specimens.

The total number of species (following the fourth edition of Dana’s Mineralogy for names, etc.) believed to exist on the Pacific coast, including Northern Mexico, Arizona, California, Nevada and Oregon, is one hundred and ten, of which, however, thirteen are somewhat doubtful. Of the one hundred and ten, there are eighty-nine which occur in California. Some of the mineral species most common in other parts of the world, and especially in mining regions, are either entirely unknown here, or else exceedingly rare. Thus _barytes_, which is so abundant a veinstone in England and Germany, is almost unknown in the Sierra Nevada, having been only found in one or two localities, and there in small quantity. Fluor is entirely wanting in the Sierra Nevada, although found in some quantity in Arizona and Nevada. Not a trace of this elsewhere so common mineral has been found, so far as known, in California.

Among the silicates most universally diffused, but which are up to this time entirely unknown in California, the following may be mentioned as some of the most prominent: beryl, topaz, zircon, Wollastonite, scapolite, spodumene, Allanite, iolite, staurotide, kyanite, spinel, nepheline, datholite and all the zeolites, in other countries so abundant where volcanic rocks occur. Not a well defined specimen of a zeolite has yet been found within the borders of California.

Another curious fact in the mineralogy of California is the occurrence of some mineral species which are common as ores in other mining countries, and which in California, or at least in the mining region of the Sierra Nevada, are disseminated through a great number of localities, but nowhere exist in workable quantity. Galena and blende may be particularly referred to as occurring in this way. There is hardly a gold-bearing vein in the Sierra which has not some galena and blende in fine particles in the veinstone; but not a locality is known where the quantity of either of these ores is anything like sufficient to justify mining, even were the other conditions as favorable as in the Eastern States or in Europe. Galena occurs in considerable quantity in the extreme south-eastern portion of the State, or just over the borders, in Arizona and Nevada; but no considerable deposit of zinc blende has yet been made known anywhere in the Pacific States or Territories; nor is any other ore of zinc known to occur in workable quantity on this coast.

The mineral region with which ours most nearly agrees, in the character of its ores and mineral substances, is that of the South American Andes, especially of Chile. In Mr. David Forbes’ recent catalogue of the Chilean minerals, there are about two hundred species enumerated, of which about sixty have hitherto been discovered in California and the other Pacific States and Territories. The Chilean mineral list, like that of California, is remarkable for the absence of many of the almost universally distributed silicates mentioned above as wanting in the Pacific States, namely: beryl, topaz, zircon, Wollastonite, Allanite, iolite, staurotide, kyanite, spodumene, spinel and datholite. Many other silicates, abundantly distributed throughout other portions of the world, might be mentioned as entirely wanting along the whole Pacific Coast. Several of the more common zeolites are found in the Chilean list, which are wanting in California; while several others are equally wanting in both countries. Among the common zeolites found in Chile which have not yet been discovered in California are Prehnite, stilbite, Laumontite and scolecite; while analcime, harmotome, Thomsonite, natrolite and Heulandite are wanting there as well as here.

It is evident, from a comparison of the mineral lists of the States situated along the Pacific Coast of North and South America, that there has been a most remarkable resemblance in the conditions which have influenced the formation and segregation of the accidental minerals now found accompanying the stratified and eruptive masses throughout the whole vast extent of the regions in question. This is another of the facts which go to show the unity of the Cordilleras of North and South America as a geological result.

Mr. Bolander stated that the absence of many mineral species from this coast found its parallel in a similar absence of many botanical groups.

Dr. Cooper did not think there was any poverty with respect to animal species on this coast, and suggested that the absence of certain groups of plants might be due to the absence of certain appropriate mineral constituents from the soil.

Dr. Behr thought that the Californian lepidoptera more nearly conformed to European and Mexican types than to those of the Eastern States.

REGULAR MEETING, NOVEMBER 18TH, 1867.

President in the chair.

Twenty-six members present.

Messrs. R. H. Stretch and Gustav Holland, M.D., were elected Resident Members, and Mr. L. C. Schmidt of Eureka, Humboldt County, a Corresponding Member.

Donations to the Cabinet: A specimen of Coral from Mr. Eckley.

Donation to the Library: Mining Claims and Water Rights, 8vo, San Francisco, 1867, by Gregory Yale.

Professor Whitney read the following communication, supplementary to the one presented at the previous meeting.

The subject of the relation of the accidental minerals occurring on the Pacific coast was brought forward by me at the last meeting, and I wish now to add a few words in regard to the elementary substances occurring in California, an inquiry which will also afford us some interesting data for comparing the geological and chemical conditions prevailing through the great chain of the Cordilleras of North and South America.

I find on carefully tabulating the facts observed by the Geological Survey, in regard to the mineral combinations existing on the coast, that of the sixty-four elementary substances existing in nature, so far as yet known to chemists, there are only thirty-six which have been proven to occur in California, in mineral combinations.

Those which are wanting here are the following: bromine, glucinum, cadmium, cæsium, cerium, didymium, erbium, fluorine, iodine, indium, lanthanum, lithium, niobium, norium, palladium, ruthenium, rubidium, strontium, tantalum, terbium, thallium, thorium, uranium, vanadium, bismuth, tungsten, yttrium, zirconium (28.)

Of elementary substances occurring in the adjacent States, and not yet detected in California, there are, so far as I know, only three, namely: bismuth, fluorine and tungsten. This would make twenty-three elements wanting on the Pacific Coast of North America. Of these a few are extremely rare, in general, and would hardly be expected to occur here. Among these are didymium, erbium, indium, lanthanum, norium, thorium. But there are others, the absence of which is indeed quite surprising. Fluorine, for instance, is an element of extremely wide distribution, and one which occurs in great quantity in most mineral countries. Here it will probably hereafter be detected in our micas, and perhaps in other combinations, and also in mineral and sea water; but its most abundant source, fluor-spar, seems entirely wanting in this State.

Bismuth is another element of common occurrence in various combinations, but it has not yet been detected in California. A few minute scales of a mineral that I determined to be bismuth-silver, from the Twin Ophir mine, Nevada, is the only authentic instance I know of thus far, of the occurrence of this element on the Pacific coast. Tungsten, uranium and vanadium, are tolerably widely disseminated; the latter, however, less so than the former. No trace of either has yet been found on this coast north of Mexico; of strontium, zirconium, and glucinum, the same may be said. If we now compare the distribution of the elements in the South American Andes with that on this coast, we shall find some striking points of resemblance; and to a large extent, either the absence, or else the great rarity of several of the elementary substances not seen in other mineral regions, is a fact which holds good along the whole extent of the American Continent on the Pacific side. Fluorine, in combination with calcium, is almost as rare in Peru, Bolivia, and Chile, as on this coast. Indeed, it was formerly supposed by Domeyko not to occur at all in Chile, but recently one or two localities, where it is found in small quantity, have been made known. Tungsten occurs in Peru at one locality in the form of wolfram, and in Chile in one or two localities, also in Lower California, but its combinations are extremely rare along the whole coast. The same may be said of uranium. Strontium and zirconium have not yet been discovered in Chile or Peru, although the former occurs in one locality in New Grenada, and glucinum has only recently been found in Chile in very minute quantity in one locality. No combination of lithium is yet known on the Pacific coast.

Among the leading facts connected with the occurrence of mineral substances and the elementary bodies on the Pacific coast, and especially in the Cordilleras of North and South America, the following may be mentioned as generally applicable to the whole of the vast region extending from British Columbia to Chile:

1st. The paucity of species considering the extent of the region as compared with other parts of the world, and especially with other mineral regions.

2d. The remarkable absence of the prominent silicates, and especially of the zeolites.

3d. The absence of a large number of the elementary substances, and the paucity of several others of very common occurrence in other mineral regions.

4th. The very wide spread and abundant occurrence of the precious metals, gold and silver, and the not uncommon occurrence of platina.

5th. The great abundance of ores of copper, and the comparative absence of tin, lead, and zinc.

6th. The similarity in the mineralized condition of the silver—antimony and chlorine being prominent mineralizers of this metal—while in Chile the rarer combinations of iodine, bromine, and selenium occur, these latter being as yet unknown north of Mexico.

7th. The absence or paucity as veinstone, or gangue, of one of the most prominent minerals occurring as such in other mineral regions, namely, fluor; to which it may be added, that both calcite and barytes are extremely rare as veinstones in California, and to judge from all the Mexican and Chilean collections that I have seen, well crystallized specimens are very rare in those countries.

8th. There is no elementary substance, and but few mineral species peculiar to the Pacific coast, so far as yet ascertained.

Professor Whitney remarked on the depression of Death Valley, the sink of the Amargosa River, below the level of the sea. Recently it has been repeatedly stated in the newspapers that no such depression really existed, and that, in point of fact, the valley in question was several thousand feet above the sea level, Mr. Gabb being cited as authority.

The valley visited by Mr. Gabb, however, was not, it appears, the real Death Valley, but one to which that name was given by an explorer by mistake. The true Death Valley is the sink of the Amargosa, while the one visited by Mr. Gabb is near the head of that river. The barometrical observations on which the statement of the depression of the real Death Valley is based were taken, in 1861, by a party of the California Boundary Survey. The observations were made with a barometer, which was compared before and after being used, with a standard, by Colonel R. S. Williamson, by whom also the computations and reductions of the observations were made; there was also a station barometer at the time on the Colorado, at no great distance, and this instrument was in good order. Thus it will be seen that the conditions were, in most respects, exceptionably favorable for a correct measure of the altitude of the valley, and it may be safely assumed that its depression below the sea level is not far from one hundred and seventy-five feet, as stated on Colonel Williamson’s authority, in the Geology of California, Vol. I. To secure a more reliable result, it would be necessary to have a long series of observations taken there with a well-adjusted instrument, and it would be desirable also to have a station barometer on the Colorado, or at some other not too distant point. It will probably be a long time before these favorable conditions are secured; and, in the meantime, Col. Williamson’s result must be received as a close approximation to the actual amount of the depression of this very remarkable locality.

Mr. Bolander, referring to a previous enumeration of pine species in California, submitted by him, stated that he must now reduce the number of true species by one, leaving the total at only fifteen. He also remarked upon the species of fir in this State, enumerating four only as being strongly marked. He showed the leaves and seeds of two species, and commented upon the mistake of Murray in asserting that there is a fifth species, which he calls _Picea magnifica_, but which is really _Picea amabilis_. Mr. Bolander thought the tendency to multiply species erroneously was attributable to a desire to make a market for seeds, those of new species being always in demand at good prices.

SPECIAL MEETING, NOVEMBER 27th, 1867.

President in the Chair.

This meeting was called for the purpose of hearing from Mr. George Davidson, Assistant U. S. Coast Survey, an account of his recent trip to Alaska, at the head of a party organized by Professor Peirce, Superintendent U. S. Coast Survey, to make a partial scientific reconnoissance of that region. Mr. Davidson gave an interesting account of the operations of the party, and a synopsis of their observations. These will be found at length in his official report, to be printed by order of Congress.

At the conclusion of Mr. Davidson’s remarks, the Academy passed a vote of thanks to Mr. Davidson and Professor Peirce, Superintendent of the Coast Survey, for the opportunity which had thus been afforded of hearing the results of an expedition of so much interest to the scientific world.

Dr. Kellogg, who accompanied the party as botanist, added some remarks on the Flora of the northwestern coast of America.

REGULAR MEETING, DECEMBER 2D, 1867.

President in the Chair.

Thirty-five members present.

Messrs. S. W. Holladay, Henry R. Goddard, and Henry K. Moore, were elected resident members.

Donations to the Library: Bulletin de la Société Imperial des Naturalistes de Moscow, 8vo., Moscow, 1866.

Professor Silliman read the following notices:

Note on three new Localities of Tellurium Minerals in California, and on some Mineralogical Features of the Mother Vein.

BY B. SILLIMAN.

(_a._) TELLURIUM MINERALS.—It is well known to mineralogists and others that in the Melones Mine, on Carson Hill, there occurs, in considerable abundance, a tellurium compound which has been called Sylvanite by some mineralogists, but apparently without sufficient authority. It occurs in one of the veins on the Melones property, associated with Dolomite and quartz, in what appears to be a gneissic rock; but the mine being under water I am dependent on the specimens kindly furnished me by the intelligent proprietor, Mr. G. K. STEVENOT, for my knowledge of the gangue.

At the “Golden Rule” Mine, on the mother lode near Poverty Hill, in Tuolumne County, I detected in August last the same tellurium minerals which are found at Carson Hill in the Melones. The veinstone here is an argillite, with thread-like veins of quartz crossing the cleavages of the slate, and in these _filons_ of quartz gold is seen in beautiful specimens. It was in this association that I detected two or three small groups of brilliant crystalline plates, identical in appearance and physical characters with the Melones mineral, which has been called Sylvanite, and affording the same blowpipe reactions.

At the Rawhide Rancho, a mine near Jamestown, on the mother lode, of which I have had occasion to make a careful study, there occurs a deposit or shoot of very rich sulphides containing copper, antimony, iron, arsenic, with gold, silver and tellurium. This ore has in general a bronzy, blackish appearance; shows often free gold in scales of a blackish yellow color, and appears to be a kind of fahlerz, or gray-copper ore, the value of which in silver and gold rises to one thousand dollars per ton, (2,000 lbs.) or even higher. Associated with this ore are brilliant sectile, flexible scales of the same tellurium compound which occurs at Stanislaus and Golden Rule, but in the Rawhide Mine intimately blended with the blackish sulphides before-named—occasionally in nests or small bunches with metallic gold. The blowpipe readily detects in this ore antimony, arsenic, tellurium, copper, iron, manganese, lime, magnesia, chromium, aluminum, gold and silver. It is only in portions containing dolomite and the peculiar greenish mineral, so characteristic of the mother lode, that lime, magnesia, alumina, and chromium are detected. In portions of the fahlerz-like mineral which appear nearly pure, the blowpipe detects only antimony, arsenic, copper, iron, and manganese.

Having transmitted characteristic specimens of these ores, with other interesting California species, to Professors Dana and Brush, at New Haven, these mineralogists inform me, by letter just received, that the tellurids above-named appear to be referable to a new species hitherto undescribed, and Prof. Brush proposes to undertake an analysis of it upon the specimens transmitted by me, which are barely sufficient for the purpose. It is a tellurid of silver and gold, containing more silver than gold. Associated with it is a white cleavable mineral which Prof. Brush thinks may prove to be native tellurium; this is in the Melones and Golden Rule specimens.

_Hessite._ I obtained from the Reist Mine, on the northeasterly end of Whisky Hill, Tuolumne County, a very small crystal corresponding in its physical characters to the extremely rare telluric silver, known to mineralogists as _Hessite_. It occurs in the auriferous slates to the east of the main vein; the slates being opened here for a width of seventy-five feet as an open cut. My attention was called to the existence of this species at the Reist Mine by Mr. D. T. Hughes, of Tuolumne County, who informed me that there was an interesting mineral species there containing, as he believed, tellurium, and that masses of it, half an ounce in weight, had been obtained some years since. Unfortunately these specimens fell into ignorant hands, and were destroyed in idle attempts to determine the nature of the substance. On visiting the locality, which is within one mile of the Rawhide Rancho, and on the opposite side of Table Mountain, I found that the proprietor was exploring in a different part of the open cut from that where this species was found, the place being under water. Fortunately in a collection of minerals from Whisky Hill, formed by Mr. Williams, one of the proprietors, and preserved in his house there, I was able to detect one small mass of the Hessite which Mr. Williams divided with me. This Mr. Hughes recognized as identical with the larger masses he had obtained at this mine some years since.

Prof. Bush, in his letter to Prof. Silliman, of October 29th, recognizes this species as Hessite. The specimen was associated with native gold which had been amalgamated and heated, but the constitution of the Hessite did not seem to be affected thereby.

“_Tellurid of Silver_” is mentioned by Blake, in his list of California species, as found by him near Georgetown, in El Dorado County, in 1854, washed from the gold drift, but the parent vein had never been found.—Ross Browne’s Report, 1867, p. 209.

It appears therefore, from the present state of our knowledge, that a compound of gold and silver tellurium belonging probably to a new species has been detected in three localities upon the mother vein, and associated with it in two of these, probably also native tellurium; and that Hessite (the tellurid of silver) has been found in place in one locality and in the drift in another. I have also detected the foliated tellurium in extremely minute quantity in one of the mines at Angels, and I mentioned in a publication, in 1864, its probable occurrence among the ores of the Josephine and Pine Tree Mines of Mariposa. A careful scrutiny will probably detect those compounds of tellurium at other points when the mother vein is opened, as at Blue Gulch, Quartz Mountain, and Whisky Hill. I have already recognized the blackish antimonial copper sulphides at the App Mine and Silver’s Mine, and in the croppings on the surface of Whisky Hill. Indeed it may not be too much to state that these ores appear to be somewhat characteristic of those portions of the mother vein occurring south of Angels, and especially wherever it is inclosed in magnesian rocks.

Genth has named a species _Melonite_, from Melones Mine, which he says is a tellurid of nickel. I have not been able to recognize this compound among those ores of the Melones, which I have seen.

(_b._) SOME MINERALOGICAL FEATURES OF THE MOTHER VEIN.—From the opportunity I have had of studying the mother vein, I arrive at the general conclusion that its mineralogical characteristics vary greatly with the chemical constitution of the rocks which inclose it. Wherever the serpentine or talcose and calcareous rocks from the inclosing walls, or are near it, the mineral contents of the vein are essentially different from those observed where the inclosing rocks are argillites, or syenites and diorites.

These we find at Mariposa, in the Josephine and Pine Tree Mines, at Peñon Blanco, Maxwell Creek, Blue Gulch, Quartz Mountain, Silver’s, Whisky Hill, Rawhide, Chapavele Hill, Carson Hill, Angels, and Placerville—at all which places I have examined the mother lode with more or less care—a peculiar light apple-green mineral, occurring in scales, associated with iron pyrites in small and brilliant pentagonal dodecahedrons and implanted in a gangue of dolomite mingled with quartz. The dolomite is of the variety known as ankerite, and by its decomposition, which seems hastened by the oxidation of the associated pyrites, gives origin to those highly characteristic masses of brown and reddish-yellow iron gossan which form the characteristic feature of the outcroppings of those portions of the mother vein just enumerated. These gossans always retain the bright green mineral before alluded to unchanged, as also cellular quartz which discloses in its rhombic cavities the form of the decomposed crystals of dolomite or ankerite whose removal has left the vacant spaces. Before decomposition this triple carbonate of lime, magnesia, and iron is brilliantly white, and its real chemical character would never be suspected.

The green mineral, so far as I can ascertain, has never been described, although it has often been noticed. It has been called by some, _nickel gymnite_, and I have once distinguished it by this name in a mining report. But this is a misnomer which I take this occasion to correct; nickel gymnite of Genth, found at Texas, Penna., is a hydrous silicate of magnesia, lime, and nickel. The species so characteristic of certain portions of the mother vein is anhydrous, and contains no nickel.

MARIPOSITE (Provisional Name). Before the blowpipe it yields evidence of the presence of the protoxides of iron, lime, magnesia, and potassium; of the sesquioxides of chromium and aluminum with carbonic, silicic, and sulphuric acids. The oxide of manganese and sulphuric acid exist only as traces. The mineral is probably new, and must be referred to the mica section of an hydrous silicate. Should it, on a careful chemical examination, prove to be new, I would suggest the name _Mariposite_ as an appropriate name for it, as it was on the Mariposa estate that it first attracted my attention, and where it exists in great abundance.

This species which is so characteristic of the mother vein, in connection with magnesian or chloritic rocks, occurs nowhere so far as I have observed in this vein when it is inclosed in argillites or syenites.

Of sulphides occurring in the mother lode there are two classes which deserve special mention, beside the ordinarily occurring pyrites of iron and copper.

These are the (1) antimonial copper sulphides, and the (2) antimonial lead sulphides; both are arsenical and are rich in both gold and silver.

To the first class allusion has already been made in the former part of this paper. Besides the Rawhide Mine, they are found in most of the openings on Whisky Hill, in Tuolumne County, in the Silver, App and Josephine, and Pine Tree Mines. The lively stains of blue malachite, seen at Williams’ Mine, on Whisky Hill, and occasionally elsewhere, are derived from atmospheric decomposition of the antimonial copper sulphides. The blowpipe detects the presence of iron, antimony, arsenic, copper, sulphur, tellurium (in certain cases) sulphur, gold and silver. The vein is so abundant as to give to the raw ore, in some cases, magnetic properties; and the button from the blowpipe assay becomes strongly magnetic.

The antimonial lead sulphides occur in considerable abundance at the Trio Claims, on Whisky Hill. The appearance of this ore recalls that of granular galena. The gold and silver value of this ore is very high, but no portion of it can be saved by the ordinary mechanical treatment with mercury. The blowpipe detects the presence of antimony, lead, iron, arsenic, sulphur, gold and silver. There is no trace of copper, and the quantity of arsenic present is slight. The ore is therefore essentially an antimonial lead sulphide, rich in gold and silver.

There is good reason to believe, that as this remarkable vein becomes more thoroughly explored, it will disclose other new or rare compounds containing gold, and that these already noticed will be found to be more widely diffused when proper care is applied to the study of the mineralogy of the lode.

In Amador County the mother lode is found in connection with argillaceous slates and syenite. Thus at the Eureka Mine, of Hayward, known as the Amador Mining Co., the vein has a soft, black slate for its foot wall and a heavy, firm syenite or greenstone (called _granite_ by the miners) for the hanging wall. The mineralogy of the vein is extremely simple, being in fact nothing more than iron and copper sulphurets, chiefly the former, with rarely galena or blende. I sought in vain for any of the species mentioned in the former part of this paper. There are no magnesian minerals, and the _Mariposite_ is entirely absent. The other mines of that range, as far as I examined them, all partake of the same simplicity in mineralogical character. There can be but little doubt, as it appears to me, that the inclosing rocks in each case exercise an important influence on the mineral contents of the vein.

SAN FRANCISCO, December 2d, 1867.

Mr. Stearns read the following:

List of Shells collected at Bodega Bay, California, June, 1867.

BY ROBERT E. C. STEARNS.

In pursuance of the idea mentioned in my paper on the shells of Baulines Bay, of examining the bays and coast to the north of San Francisco, I made a brief trip to Bodega Bay in company with my friend Dr. Newcomb, on the thirteenth of June, 1867. Most of the species enumerated were collected within a very limited area, between tide marks, at the extreme point of Bodega Head, as the arm of land is called, which extending in a southerly direction from the general line of the coast, incloses what is known as Bodega Bay. The bay itself is, for the greater part, left bare at low tide, and the flats then exposed, composed of sandy mud, contain abundance of the common bivalves of the coast, principally _Macoma_, (two species) and _Tapes_, in all its varieties: _Saxidomus gracilis_ may also be found here in considerable quantities, and is at certain seasons dug by the Indians, together with the other so called “clams.” At the spot where the principal portion of this collection was made, the outcropping rock is a coarse granite, upon which _Litorina planaxis_ is found in great numbers. The limited time at my disposal, at the season when the trip was made, was only sufficient to admit of a brief, and therefore unsatisfactory reconnoissance; nevertheless, at least seventeen species were detected which have not heretofore been found (or reported) so far to the north. Many of these species I failed to find at Baulines, and some of them have not been reported north of the Bay of Monterey. At Baulines, the rocks are principally shales, and contain many species of pholads, which as will be seen by a glance at this list, if not entirely absent, must be rare at Bodega; the various “nestlers” which are found associated with the borers are also wanting; _Haliotis rufescens_ is abundant upon the rocky islets off the coast, but not even a fragment of _H. Cracherodii_ was met with.

1. Cryptomya Californica, Conr. 2. Schizothærus Nuttalli, Conr. 3. Entodesma saxicola, Baird. 4. Mytilimeria Nuttalli, Conr. 5. Machæra patula, Dixon. 6. Macoma secta, Conr.* 7. —— nasuta, Conr. 8. Tellina Bodegensis, Hds. 9. Tapes staminea, Conr.‡ 10. —— —— var. Petitii, Desh.‡ 11. —— —— var. ruderata, Desh.‡ 12. —— —— var. diversa, Sby.‡ 13. Saxidomus gracilis, Gould.* 14. Chama exogyra, Conr.* 15. Cardium corbis, Mart. 16. Lazaria sub-quadrata, Cpr. 17. Kellia Laperousii, Desh. 18. Lasea rubra, Mont. 19. Mytilus Californianus, Conr. 20. —— edulis, Linn. 21. Modiola fornicata, Cpr.* 22. —— recta, Cour.* 23. Axinœa subobsoleta, Cpr. 24. Pecten hastatus, Sby. 25. Hinnites giganteus, Gray. 26. Placunanomia machrochisma, Desh. 27. Helix Nickliniana, Lea. 28. —— Columbiana, Lea. 29. Cryptochiton Stelleri, Midd. 30. Tonicia lineata, Wood. 31. Mopalia Wossnessenskii, Midd. 32. —— Merckii, Midd. 33. Kennerlyi var. Swanii, Cpr. 34. Trachydermon fallax, Cpr. (Mss.) 35. Nacella instabilis, Gould. 36. Acmæa patina, Esch. 37. —— pelta, Esch. 38. —— persona, Esch. 39. —— scabra, Nutt.* 40. —— spectrum, Nutt. 41. Scurria mitra, Esch. 42. Rowellia radiata, Cp.* 43. Glyphis aspera, Esch. 44. Clypidella callomarginata, Cpr.* 45. —— bimaculata, Dall, (Mss.)* 46. Haliotis rufescens, Swains.* 47. Leptothyra sanguinea, Cpr. 48. Chlorostoma funebrale, A. Ad. 49. —— brunneum, Phil. 50. Calliostoma costatum, Mart. 51. —— annulatum, Mart. 52. Phorcus pulligo, Mart. 53. Margarita pupilla, Gould. 54. —— acuticostata, Cpr.* 55. Crepidula adunca, Sby. 56. Hipponyx cranioides, Cpr. 57. —— antiquatus, Linn.* 58. Bivonia compacta, Cpr. 59. Bittium filosum, Gould. 60. Littorina planaxis, Nutt. 61. —— scutulata, Gould. 62. Lacuna porrecta, Cpr. 63. Trivia Californiana, Gray.* 64. Erato vitellina, Hds.* 65. Drillia incisa, Cpr. 66. Mangelia levidensis, Cpr.† 67. Odostomia gravida, Gould.* 68. Scalaria subcoronata, Cpr.* 69. Opalia borealis, Gould. 70. Velutina lævigata, Linn. 71. Lunatia Lewisii, Gould. 72. Olivella biplicata, Sby. 73. —— bœtica, Cpr. 74. —— intorta, Cpr.* 75. Nassa fossata, Gould. 76. —— mendica, Gould. 77. Amycla carinata var. Hindsii, Rve. 78. —— gausapata, Gould. 79. Amphissa corrugata, Rve. 80. Purpura crispata, Chem. 81. —— canaliculata, Duel. 82. —— saxicola var. ostrina, Gld. 83. Ocinebra lurida, Midd. 84. —— —— var. aspera, Baird. 85. —— interfossa, Cpr. 86. —— —— var. atropurpurea, Cpr. 87. Cerostoma foliatum, Gmel.

* The species marked with an asterisk, seventeen in number, have never before been reported from a locality so far north.

† Mangelia levidensis (teste J. G. Cooper) has not previously been detected at a point so far south; it has heretofore been credited to “Straits of Fuca, W. T.” _vide_ Geo. Survey Cat. 1867, by J. G. C.

‡ Tapes staminea and vars. were obtained at low water by digging from twelve to twenty inches deep, and together with Macoma secta and M. nasuta, were found in the same holes.

The Chitons above enumerated, have been compared with specimens recently (March, 1868) received labeled, from Dr. Carpenter of Montreal.

No. 39, Acmæa scabra; elevated dark colored specimens of this species with the characteristic sculpture sharply and well defined, were obtained in considerable numbers. Subsequently at Monterey I found occasional specimens displaying nearly the same elevation and of the same color as those from Bodega.

Shells collected by the U. S. Coast Survey Expedition to Alaska, in the year 1867.

BY ROBERT E. C. STEARNS.

George Davidson, Esq., connected with the Coast Survey service of the United States, who commanded the scientific department of the Alaska Expedition, very kindly tendered positions on his staff to the following members of the Academy: Dr. A. Kellogg, as Surgeon and Botanist; Theodore A. Blake, as Geologist; and W. G. W. Harford, as General Collector, by whom the species here enumerated were collected. My acknowledgments are due to Dr. J. G. Cooper, of San Francisco, for assistance in determining species; also to Dr. William Stimpson of Chicago, for similar service in reference to the Buccinidæ.

1. Saxicava pholadis, Linn. var. arctica; Sitka, Bella Bella, Kodiak, Ounalaska. 2. Mya arenaria, Linn.; Kodiak. 3. Schizothærus Nuttalli, Conr.; Sitka, Kodiak. 4. Machæra patula, Dixon; Kodiak, Ounalaska. 5. Macoma nasuta, Conr.; Kodiak. 6. Macoma inquinata, Desh.; Fort Simpson, Bella Bella, Kodiak, Spruce Isl. 7. Macoma inconspicua, Br. & Sby.; Fort Simpson, Chilchat, Kodiak, Spruce Isl. 8. Mera salmonea, Cpr.; Kodiak. 9. Standella planulata, Conr.; Kodiak, Ounalaska. 10. Tapes staminea, var. Petitii, Desh.; Fort Simpson, Chatham Sound. 11. Tapes staminea, var. ruderata, Desh.; Fort Simpson, Carter’s Bay, Sitka, Bella Bella, Kodiak, Spruce Isl., Ounalaska. 12. Saxidomus Nuttalli, Conr.; Ft. Simpson, Sitka, Carter’s Bay, Kodiak. 13. Cardium corbis, Mart.; Sitka, Bella Bella, Carter’s Bay, Kodiak. 14. Cardium blandum, Gould; Sitka, Kodiak, Ounalaska. 15. Serripes Grœnlandicus, Chem.; Kodiak, Ounalaska. 16. Kellia Laperousii, Desh.; Ounalaska. 17. Lasea rubra, Mont.; Sitka. 18. Mytilus edulis, Linn.; Ft. Simpson, Carter’s Bay, Bella Bella, Sitka, Kodiak, Spruce Isl. 19. Modiola modiolus, Linn.; Sitka, Ounalaska. 20. Modiolaria lævigata, Gray; Ounalaska. 21. Axinæa septentrionalis, Midd.; Bella Bella. 22. Yoldia, n. s.?; Stomach of Halibut, Kodiak. 23. Acila castrensis, Hinds; Sitka. 24. Placunanomia macroschisma, Desh.; Kodiak, Ounalaska. 25. Helix Columbiana, Lea.; Sitka, Chilchat River, 59° 9´ N. 26. Helix Vancouverensis, Lea.; Sitka, V. Island. 27. Helix ruderata, Stud.; Ounalaska. 28. Helix fulva, Drap.; Sitka, Ounalaska. 29. Vitrina pellucida, Müll.?; Ounalaska. 30. Zua lubrica, Müll.; Sitka, Kodiak. 31. Siphonaria thersites, Cpr.; Fort Simpson. 32. Katherina tunicata, Wood; Sitka. 33. Tonicia lineata, Wood; Fort Simpson. 34. Tonicia submarmorea, Midd.; Fort Simpson. 35. Mopalia muscosa, Gould; Vancouver Island. 36. Mopalia Wossnessenskii, Midd.; Fort Simpson. 37. Mopalia Merckii, Midd.; Fort Simpson. 38. Acmæa patina, Esch.; Fort Simpson, Kodiak, Ounalaska, Sitka. 39. Acmæa pelta, Esch.; Sitka, Kodiak, Ounalaska. 40. Scurria mitra, Esch.; Sitka. 41. Glyphis aspera, Esch.; Sitka. 42. Haliotis Kamschatkana, Jonas; Sitka. 43. Calliostoma costatum, Mart.; Sitka. 44. Margarita pupilla, Gould; Ft. Simpson, Bella Bella, Sitka, Ounalaska. 45. Margarita helicina, Mont.; Ounalaska. 46. Phorcus pulligo, Mart.; Sitka. 47. Crepidula navicelloides, Nutt.; Bella Bella. 48. Crepidula grandis, Midd.; Captain’s Harbor, Kodiak, Ounalaska. 49. Bittium filosum, Gould; Ft. Simpson, Carter’s Bay, Bella Bella, Sitka. 50. Littorina scutulata, Gould; Sitka. 51. Littorina Sitkana, Phil.; Chatham S’nd, Carter’s Bay, Bella Bella, Sitka, Kodiak. 52. Lacuna solidula, Loven.; Ounalaska. 53. Isapis fenestrata, Cpr.; Ounalaska. 54. Trichotropis cancellata, Hds.; Fort Simpson, Sitka. 55. Natica clausa, Brod. & Shy.; Ft. Simpson, Kodiak, Ounalaska. 56. Lunatia pallida, Brod. & Sby.; Captain’s Harbor, Ounalaska. 57. Priene Oregonensis, Redf.; Ounalaska. 58. Olivella bœtica, Cpr.; Sitka. 59. Nassa mendica, Gould; Sitka. 60. Amycla gausapata, Gould; Ft. Simpson. 61. Amphissa corrugata, Rve.; Ft. Simpson, Carter’s Bay. 62. Purpura crispata, Chem.; Fort Simpson, Bella Bella, Lawson’s Harbor, Carter’s Bay, Sitka. 63. Purpura canaliculata, Duel.; Chatham Sound, Carter’s Bay, Bella Bella, Sitka, Kodiak, Spruce Isl., Ounalaska. 64. Purpura saxicola, Val.; Ounalaska. 65. Purpura saxicola var. fuscata, Fbs.; Fort Simpson, Carter’s Bay, Bella Bella, Sitka. 66. Ocinebra interfossa, Cpr.; Carter’s Bay, Bella Bella, Sitka. 67. Cerastoma foliatum, Gmel.; Bella Bella, Sitka. 68. Trophon multicostatus, Esch.; Ounalaska. 69. Trophon orpheus, Gould; Sitka. 70. Chrysodomus dirus, Rve.; Chatham Sound, Ft. Simpson, Carter’s Bay, Bella Bella, Sitka. 71. Chrysodomus liratus, Mart.; Chilchat, Kodiak, Ounalaska. 72. Buccinum glaciale, Linn.; Ounalaska. 73. Buccinum polare, Gray; Captain’s Harbor, Ounalaska. 74. [36]Buccinum cyancum, Brug.; Kodiak. 75. Volutharpa ampullacea, Midd.; Fort Simpson, Bella Bella, Sitka, Kodiak, Ounalaska.

[36] In a note from Dr. Stimpson, he remarks in reference to this species: it “has not, as far as I am aware, as yet been reported from the Pacific.”

Mr. Bolander presented a paper by Mr. Lesquereux, entitled “A Catalogue of the species of Mosses found up to the present time on the Northwest coast of the United States of America, and especially in California,” which was referred to the Publication Committee and ordered printed in the Memoirs of the Academy.

Professor Whitney exhibited several of the maps in preparation at the office of the State Geological Survey, and gave a somewhat detailed account of the operation of the survey during the year 1866 and 1867, and of the progress in the publication department of that work. The statement made was in the main identical with that contained in the biennial letter of the State Geologist to the Governor, published by order of the Legislature then in session.

Dr. H. Gibbons exhibited a piece of pork erroneously supposed to contain trichinæ; he believed the entozoa in question were really _Cysticerci_. They have the appearance of soaked peas, and are not injurious when cooked.

Mr. R. L. Harris mentioned the fact that the railroad surveys conducted by himself, for connecting Vallejo and Sacramento, indicated that the latter place was not so much above the sea level as had generally been assumed from barometrical observations, and he believed that the top of the present levee at Sacramento was about twenty-one feet above mean high tide at Vallejo, instead of fifty-six, as previously supposed. If this was true, then the lowlands in the vicinity of Sacramento were in fact, only about one and a half feet above the sea level. The surveys of the coming season would probably enable him to fix this important point with accuracy.

Dr. Gibbons suggested that if the Tule lands in the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys were permitted to undergo the natural processes of growth and decay, instead of being annually burned over, the land in question might in time become sufficiently elevated to be inhabited.

Mr. Goodale, who had recently visited Russian America, exhibited a number of implements and weapons of the natives of that region, and gave an account of their use. He also remarked on some of the topographical and geological features of that country.

REGULAR MEETING, DECEMBER 16TH, 1867.

Vice President Ransom in the Chair.

Thirty-seven members present.

The following gentlemen were elected Resident Members: Messrs. William Hamel, P. B. Cornwall, Horace D. Dunn and W. B. Rising.

Donations to the Cabinet: seven specimens of ores from Gregory Yale, Esq., also, a series of samples in bottles, illustrating the chlorination process of extracting gold from the sulphurets, by the same.

Mr. Goodyear read the following paper:

Salt Spring Valley and the adjacent region in Calaveras County.

BY W. A. GOODYEAR.

Having spent some time during the past summer in Copperopolis, and the region lying west and northwest from it, I offer the following observations respecting its topography and geology. I will first notice the

TOPOGRAPHY.

For a general description of the topography, etc., of Calaveras County, including the main features of the region in question, reference may be made to Prof. J. D. Whitney’s Report upon the Geology of California, Vol. I, p. 253. In addition, however, to what is there stated, I will say that Copperopolis lies at the _southwestern_ base of Bear Mountain, the summits of which rise to an altitude of something more than 2,000 feet above the sea. The Gopher Hills, also mentioned in the report, form a well defined and connected, though subordinate range, lying to the southwest of, and nearly parallel with the general course of Bear Mountain. This range forms a prominent feature in the topography of the region for a distance of at least fifteen or eighteen miles southeasterly from the Calaveras river. Its summits are probably 1,400 feet above the sea, and the lowest break or gap within the distance named is that through which Rock Creek finds its way to the plains below. The valley or depression between the Gopher Hills and Bear Mountain, whose average width is four to six miles, has received the name of Salt Spring Valley. Its general altitude is little less than 1,000 feet above the sea, that of the town of Copperopolis being nine hundred feet according to H. P. Handy’s survey of a railroad route from Copperopolis to Stockton. I should mention that for several miles northwesterly from Copperopolis, Bear Mountain has an outlier along its southwestern base, in the form of a low but tolerably well marked hilly ridge, between which and the base of the mountain is a narrow but continuous valley; and it is in this valley that the copper-bearing belt of Copperopolis is found. Southwest of this outlier, and for a distance of three or four miles northwesterly from Copperopolis, Salt Spring Valley consists mainly of a region of low hills, traversed by a net-work of steep and narrow gulches. Farther northwest the surface of the valley for three or four miles is more uniform, and here we find the nearly level area of “Tower’s Ranch,” and the gently sloping basin of the “Salt Spring Valley reservoir.” Beyond this, the country is again hilly to the Calaveras river. Southeast and south of Copperopolis, the surface is everywhere hilly. The slope of the Gopher Hills towards the southwest is rapid until we reach the low rolling country which forms the border of the San Joaquin Valley.

Black Creek debouches from Bear Mountain a mile or so southeast of Copperopolis, and flows to the Stanislaus. Littlejohn’s Creek takes its rise in the hilly regions of the valley west of Copperopolis, and flowing southwesterly, finds its way through the hills into Rock Creek. The latter rises in Bear Mountain, five or six miles northwesterly from Copperopolis, and flowing southwest across Salt Spring Valley, breaks through the Gopher Hills, and continues its course through the lower country to French Camp Slough, a branch of the San Joaquin. All these creeks become dry in the summer, though in winter they often carry very large volumes of water. At the point where Rock Creek breaks through the Gopher Hills is the substantial dam of the Salt Spring Valley Reservoir.

GEOLOGY.

The strike and dip of the rocks are more or less variable; but, so far as my observations extend in the region described, they have everywhere the same general northwesterly trend and high northeasterly dip which characterize so large a portion of the gold-bearing slates of central California. The strike is usually from N. 50° W. to N. 70° W., (magnetic) and the dip from 50° northeast to vertical. I have seen no case here of a decided southwesterly dip, nor of a low one to the northeast. It is somewhat remarkable, by the way, that this high northeasterly dip should be so general as it is in the great mass of auriferous slates which forms the southwestern flank of the Sierra Nevada. It is _towards_ the granite axis of the chain, instead of _from_ it, as would seem more natural. The causes of this are by no means as yet fully explained. It is a circumstance, however, which would lose none of its interest in the future, if, as certain facts mentioned in the Geological Report, Vol. I, p. 286, might possibly seem to indicate, further explorations should prove it to be in general a great inversion of the strata—their upper portions having been “forced back by immense pressure from above, producing a condition of things similar to that so often observed in the Alps, which is known as the ‘fan structure,’ and has so much perplexed geologists.” When we take into account the enormous denudation, amounting to thousands of feet in perpendicular depth, which is known to have taken place in the Sierras within the most recent geological periods, and the whole of which, in this case, must also have belonged to the inverted portion of the strata—unless indeed the inversion were produced by a peculiar sliding and bending of the strata by their own weight, the upper flexure having been since entirely removed—and when, in addition to this we consider the hundreds of miles in length, and the great thickness of the strata in question, we can perhaps begin to appreciate the magnitude of the movements and forces which would be involved in producing such an effect. It would indeed, if true, be a striking illustration of the grandeur of the scale upon which many of the physical features of this country have been cast, as compared with those of other and better known regions. But it is hardly worth while to speculate further upon probabilities like this in the present state of our knowledge, and I return to my subject.

In Salt Spring Valley, the rocks consist almost entirely of slates, with little variety of character, generally thin-bedded, fine-grained and argillaceous, sometimes magnesian or chloritic, and often splitting with facility into very thin sheets. The thinnest bedded varieties are usually fragile, and the structure is often wavy; but sometimes the cleavage is regular and thin enough, and the rock possesses sufficient strength to furnish a tolerable material for roofing purposes; although no attempts have been made, so far as I know, to thus apply it;—and, in fact, the expense attendant upon its excavation and transportation would preclude any extensive use of it, even if its quality were unsurpassed, which it is not.

The earthy covering of the rocks throughout the valley is usually very shallow and the soil poor, (Tower’s ranch is, however, an exception) and in many places the thin sharp edges of the slates project in such a way as to form an exceedingly jagged surface, though the projections are low, generally not exceeding two or three feet in height. Much of the surface is strewn with float quartz, usually in the shape of small but partially rounded pebbles. Quartz veins of small or moderate size, parallel with the stratification, are not uncommon. Iron pyrites is of frequent occurrence, with a little gold in the quartz. Some of the veins have been more or less worked, but none of them to any great extent. About three or four miles westerly from Copperopolis, in the hilly portion of the valley, is a ten-stamp quartz mill, and a short distance from this, on Littlejohn’s Creek, is the site of an older one, which was burned down. Neither of these mills ever yielded much profit, so far as I can learn, nor does the present one seem likely to do so.

Several of the gulches in this vicinity are said to have yielded gold enough in the past to pay for working, although the diggings were not rich or extensive. It is stated also that some years since, in one of these gulches, a quartz boulder was found, weighing about one hundred pounds, which yielded between two and three thousand dollars’ worth of gold. There are three or four quartz veins near here, from which more or less rock has been crushed. Portions of the rock from one of these veins, the Winnemucca, a prettily-shaped vein of three to four feet in thickness, are very cellular in structure, and some of it shows fine gold quite freely to the naked eye. The metal however, must be very irregular in its distribution, or the ore would have paid better in the mill than the three or four dollars per ton which I am told it yielded; and in fact, the general character of the float quartz of the region, when taken in connection with the probable origin of the valley itself, and the fact that no important placer “diggings” have been found here, does not seem to favor the probability that these quartz veins will ever prove of much value. Between the present mill and the site of the old one, as well as certain other localities in the valley, are springs containing various alkaline salts, from which the name “Salt Spring Valley” is derived.

Accompanying the copper formation of Copperopolis, and just west of it, is an immense body of serpentine, lying parallel with the general stratification of the slates, and traceable for miles along the valley by the openings made in it in the workings for copper. Opposite a point 1,000 or 1,200 feet northwest of the upper shaft of the Keystone claim, but on the southwest flank of the outlier of Bear Mountain, already noticed, is another heavy mass of serpentine. How far this extends in a northwest and a southeast direction I do not know, as I have not followed its line of outcrop, but it is certainly not less than 1,000 feet in length.

The lithological character of the Gopher Hills is entirely different from that of Salt Spring Valley. They consist mainly of a pretty hard and tough, more or less coarsely crystalline, and dark-colored hornblendic or pyroxenic rock, which is evidently metamorphic, probably of a grit or sandstone. Epidote is not uncommon in this rock, and calcite is occasionally found, though rare. Through most of this region the original stratification has been largely obscured, or nearly obliterated. Its general course, however, can still be traced without difficulty in the more or less elongated and flattened form, and the general trend which the rocky outcrops frequently assume when viewed from a little distance.

The texture of the rock varies considerably. In general it is rather coarsely crystalline; but not unfrequently it is much finer, or even compact; sometimes it is jointed. At one locality, in particular, (“Goodwin’s,” or “Sheep Ranch” Gulch) I noticed this jointed structure so well developed that a compact and very tough, almost imperishable rock could be quarried with facility, if desired, in nearly rectangular blocks and slabs.

It is not uncommon to find among these hills those peculiar holes in the rock which were hollowed out and used by the Indians as mortars in which to grind their food. I observed a number of similar holes in the hard rock, precisely in the bed of Rock Creek, in the ravine a short distance below the dam of the Salt Spring Valley Reservoir. It may be a question here, whether they owe their origin to the Indians or to the action of the stream, though from the peculiar deep and narrow form, I am inclined to ascribe them to the former. Heavy masses of flinty rock or hornstone also occur, particularly upon the southwest flanks of the range. This rock usually exhibits a much more distinct bedding than the ordinary mass of the hills. Its stratification is often perfectly regular, and sometimes the layers are beautifully thin and delicate. There is a very heavy outcrop of this finely banded rock in the ravine a short distance below the dam at Rock Creek. Higher up the hill, upon the road known as “Black’s Grade,” another outcrop of the same formation has been cut across in building the road, and here a portion of the same flinty rock is thickly filled with _fossils_, which appear to belong either to some species of crinoids or fucoids, though the structure is too much obliterated, and the specimens too much distorted to admit of definite recognition. They are apparently flattened in a direction parallel with the banding of the rock. From the general mode of occurrence of this hornstone, and from the frequent sharp and distinct lines of demarcation between it and the adjacent hornblendic rock, it might be inferred that the former traversed the latter as veins, and the delicate banding of the rock, although parallel to the general stratification of the country, would not preclude such an assumption. But the fossils speak decidedly against it, and it is probable that the hornstone is a metamorphic form of fine sedimentary deposits, and that the banding is the result of the original stratification. Quartz veins occur here occasionally, and some of them at least are auriferous, though I know of none having been worked with profit hitherto. It is not improbable, however, that some of them may be found remunerative in the future, since many of the gulches among the hills here, in the early days of mining, were rich in placer gold. The degree of metamorphism throughout these hills has been very high; but I have seen no evidence of any direct igneous action—at least no rock that I could identify as eruptive, with the single exception, perhaps, of a small and apparently completely isolated body of well characterized _granite_, which occurs near the base of the Gopher Range, and between its highly metamorphosed rocks and the San Joaquin Valley, which is overlaid with tertiary and other recent formations. The occurrence of this patch of granite here, isolated as it seems from any other similar rock, is certainly a point of much interest; but I have not been able to study its relations. Its stratigraphical and topographical position is similar to that of the Folsom granite, and it may be connected with it in origin. If it should hereafter appear that there is a well characterized, though more or less interrupted line of granitic outcrops traceable throughout central California, along the lower foothills of the mountains, and _west_ of the great belt of auriferous slates, it would have a most important bearing upon the theory of the general structure of the Sierra Nevada. The existence of such a line, indeed, might point to a very different, and perhaps more probable, _modus operandi_ than that already suggested, by which the auriferous slates themselves may have reached their present position, and received their easterly dip.

One of the most interesting points connected with the geology of the Gopher Hills, is the auriferous belt in which occurs the “Quail Hill” Mine, and of which I shall speak further presently.

Of the geology of Bear Mountain I know but little, having crossed it by but a single route. Where I have seen it, however, it consists largely of a similar rock to that which forms the mass of the Gopher Hills. Chromic iron is said to occur in considerable quantity at a certain locality in Bear Mountain, the exact whereabouts of which I could not learn. The slates of the valley extend, in general, completely up to the base of the Gopher and Bear Mountain ranges on either side, and sometimes a short distance up their flanks; but here the transition to the harder crystalline rock is usually quick and well marked.

Salt Spring Valley probably owes its existence, as such, entirely to inequality of denudation; the comparatively friable slates yielding much more readily to mechanical action than the harder and more highly metamorphosed rock on either side, which has thus been left in the form of mountain ridges, projecting many hundreds of feet above the adjacent region, while the intervening and surrounding rock has been swept away to the plains below.

A partial description of the copper mines of Copperopolis will be found in the “Geology of California,” Vol. I, pp. 254-257. The depth of the main shaft in the “Union” is now stated to be a little over five hundred feet, and the greatest depth reached in the “Keystone,” is said to be five hundred and sixty feet. All the deposits of ore here worked lie parallel with the strike and dip of the inclosing strata. The great ore mass of the “Union” Mine forks or divides into two branches towards the northwest; and at the lowest depth now reached, its width or thickness, after having reached a maximum, is again diminishing. In the “Keystone” Mine there have been two separate and nearly parallel bodies of ore worked to a considerable extent, and a third one was struck last spring previous to the suspension of work in the mine. The two main bodies of ore in this mine have “pinched out” or disappeared in various directions in their lines of strike and dip. They seem to have an irregular lenticular form, and together with the great mass of the “Union” appear to lie in what are called “shoots,” which pitch at an angle of 50° or 60° in the direction of the strike towards the northwest. The northwesterly prolongation of the strike of the great “Union” deposit does not coincide with either of the “Keystone” deposits, but passes east of them. There have been other and smaller deposits in the “Union” ground, more or less worked, lying west of the main body, some of which may possibly connect with the “Keystone” shoots, though the best information I could obtain leads me to think otherwise, and that they were probably isolated lenticular masses. The mass of the great deposit in the “Union” Mine consists of an intimate mixture of chalcopyrite and iron pyrites, containing on an average sixteen to seventeen per cent. of copper. Well defined selvages are not to be seen at Copperopolis, and the country rock is impregnated in all directions, sometimes to a considerable distance from the purer ore, with more or less finely disseminated copper and iron pyrites. In Europe it would pay to crush and work much of the wall rock itself for the copper which it contains; but here it is entirely worthless, as even ten to twelve per cent. ore is not worth mining and shipping at present prices.

It will be seen that the more recent and deeper developements in the Copperopolis mines have only served to confirm the opinion expressed two years ago by the State Geologist (Geol. Vol. I, p. 225) that “the deposits of copper ore in this region, like nearly all the others in California, do not appear to be included in regular fissure veins, but rather to form _independent masses_ [the italics are mine] lying in the direction of the strike of the inclosing rocks, and dipping with them.” It seems, further, that they are here arranged in some sort _en échelon_. There is no evidence whatever of the existence here of a regular and continuous vein of copper ore, stretching for miles through the country, as some have supposed. (See Ross Browne’s Report, p. 144.)

The finding of “copper indications,” _i.e._, of small and isolated bodies of ore, distributed with some constancy through a narrow belt of country, for no matter how many miles in length, is anything but conclusive evidence of the existence beneath of a _regular vein_ of corresponding length (which, by the way, if it existed, would be an anomaly in the mining world)—especially when all the developments of the most extensive workings hitherto made point so decidedly and strongly to the opinion that there is no _true vein_ at all. Such “indications” are however evidences, so far as they go (and they go a good way in this direction) of the probable existence of other large bodies of ore distributed here and there along the belt in question. It is not improbable that such may be found in the future, and it would not be strange even if some of them should surpass in magnitude and value the great deposit of the “Union,” which has already yielded such enormous quantities of copper, and is yet far from being worked out.

A description of the auriferous deposit of Quail Hill, in the Gopher Range, together with a similar one at Whisky Hill (called also the “Harpending Mine”) in Placer County, by Prof. B. Silliman, was read before the California Academy of Natural Sciences, at their meeting of April 15th, 1867, and will be found in their published “Proceedings,” Vol. III, pp. 349-351. This paper describes well the particular deposits in question, as well as the general appearance and character of the formation in which they occur. Such deposits, however, are not confined to one or two localities; but there are other points in Calaveras County at which gold is known to exist in considerable quantity, and with similar mode of occurrence. Among these I may mention Quail Hill No. 2, near the Napoleon Copper Mine, two or three miles southeast of Quail Hill No. 1, and the “Plymouth Rock,” or “Austin and Hathaway” claim, at Rich Gulch, near the Calaveras River. Moreover, the geological causes and the peculiar chemical decomposition of the rock, which have been involved in the formation of the deposits in question, are by no means confined to the localities where gold is known to occur. On the contrary, they may be traced with considerable constancy through a narrow belt of country along the southwest flank of the Gopher Hills, and stretching from the Calaveras River southeast for a distance of at least fifteen miles, and perhaps farther. Towards the northwest, the same belt crosses the Calaveras; but how much farther it extends in this direction I have no present means of knowing. It is not unlikely that a similar formation may be found to exist, here and there at least, in the same general line of strike, nearly parallel with the stratification of the country, through Amador and El Dorado Counties to Placer, and perhaps beyond. The possibility of this at least is worth remembering. Throughout this belt, in the Gopher Range, surface cuts and shafts, of greater or less depth, made and sunk in prospecting for copper, are of frequent occurrence. In fact, this is the same belt that has been so often mentioned as “the second important copper-bearing belt of Calaveras County,” and located some six or seven miles southwest of the main copper belt of Copperopolis. The “importance” of this belt, on account of the copper ores which it contains, has been most grossly exaggerated. An amusing illustration of this fact is to be seen in a “map of the copper mines in Calaveras County,” published a few years since, which represents the whole region in question as literally covered for miles with highly colored “locations” or “copper claims,” the whole of which, with few exceptions—and these due not to copper but to gold—have served no further end than that of rendering their locators and owners sadder and wiser men. At one locality, indeed, viz, the “Napoleon Mine,” a body of copper ore was found which in many countries would have been remunerative, and was worked to a considerable extent; but the working here was attended only with loss, and was some time since entirely discontinued. It should be remembered, however, in speaking of the copper mines of California, that not only have they had to contend with the general ignorance of copper mining, and especially of copper metallurgy which has existed throughout the State, and with extremely high prices for labor and transportation; but also that, for a year or two past, the largely increased supply of ore from the mines of Chili in South America, and elsewhere—together with the diminished demand and consequent low price for metallic copper, reacting with increased effect upon the value of the ore—have told with crushing weight even upon the best mines. There are certainly not more than one or two, perhaps not even a single deposit of copper ore in the known world, which surpasses or equals, in magnitude and intrinsic richness combined, that of the “Union” Mine of Copperopolis; and yet it is said that even the “Union” itself, which is the only mine now active at Copperopolis, is hardly more than paying expenses at present rates. So far then as my observations extend, there is simply nothing whatever in this “second copper belt” which can for some time to come justify the expenditure of money in searching for copper here; though it is not impossible that, besides the “Napoleon” Mine, other deposits of ore may exist within the belt, which at some future time, and under more favorable circumstances of labor, fuel, and transportation, may become of value for the copper which they contain.

It has been already remarked that the zone or belt of surface decomposition in which the “Quail Hill” and other similar mines occur, may be traced with considerable constancy for at least fifteen or eighteen miles, and that it is not improbable that it is much longer than this. We cannot, however, infer from our present knowledge that the decomposed or “calico” rock is continuous throughout the belt, or even for any considerable portion of its length. On the contrary, its distribution within the belt appears capricious and local, _i.e._, it seems to occur in more or less detached and isolated masses, which vary largely in form and size, and are irregular and indefinite in outline; so that little more can be predicated of their occurrence in general, than that they are mostly confined within a comparatively narrow belt, and that their longest dimension exhibits a general tendency to approximate parallelism with the axis of the belt, and the stratification of the inclosing country. Sometimes, as for instance, along the northeastern side of the Quail Hill formation, this tendency is so strongly developed, and the passage from the decomposed to the undecomposed rock is so rapid, as to form for some little distance a tolerably straight and well defined “wall” or line of demarcation, parallel, or nearly so, with the stratification of the country. But the change or passage from the decomposed or “calico” rock to the surrounding undecomposed country, though sometimes rapid is always gradual, so far as I have seen; and though we cannot yet speak much from underground explorations, the surface appearances throughout the country would indicate decidedly that so regular a line of demarcation as this at Quail Hill is the exception, and not the rule. The southwestern limit of the decomposed mass of Quail Hill has been found at several points; but here the change from the decomposed to the undecomposed rock is not so rapid; and though the explorations here, being shallow and limited, are insufficient to determine this point with certainty, it is not probable that any such regularity of demarcation exists here as upon the opposite side. Most of the “calico rock” of this belt still retains distinctly the structure of the undecomposed rock from which it was formed. The crystalline hornblendic rock is thus seen to have been largely altered by the decomposing agency, and even the hornstone, which lay in its track, seems to have been more or less affected by it. The decomposition has been purely an oxidation, accompanied by such mechanical and chemical changes as filtering mineral waters might produce. It is probably superficial, both in origin and character, extending to no great depth, although the main level at Quail Hill is nearly one hundred and twenty feet beneath the summit of the hill, and the decomposition of most of the rock at this depth, so far as exploration has gone, is as perfect as at any higher level. It is certainly long subsequent in date to the metamorphism of the surrounding country, and is unquestionably largely due to the action of the products of the oxidation of metallic sulphurets (chiefly those of iron and copper) which were originally distributed through the rock. At the same time it is not easy to account for the whole of it in this way alone, since at certain localities undecomposed sulphurets are seen near the surface, and in rock which is apparently much more permeable to atmospheric influences than was much of that which has been more deeply decomposed; and again, much of the decomposed rock, though retaining well its original structure, shows far too little traces of sulphurets to readily account for so general and thorough a decomposition as has taken place. It is all indeed more or less colored by oxide of iron, but much of it is not deeply colored, and the undecomposed hornblendic rock itself, in the absence of all sulphurets, contains sufficient iron in the state of protoxide to impart a strong coloring when the rock is decomposed and the iron passes to the state of sesquioxide. Much of the iron originally present has undoubtedly been removed in a soluble form, as sulphate, etc. But in rock which preserves its original structure, as well as most of this does, pyrites, if originally present, would have left traces of its existence in the form of casts or cavities in the decomposed mass, which might or might not have been filled with ferric oxide or other matter. In certain localities the decomposed rock is in fact filled with such cavities, often cubical in form, attesting the former presence of large quantities of disseminated sulphurets. But in other localities they are few and far between, and here accordingly the decomposition can hardly be supposed to have been due to the local presence of sulphurets alone.

The exact methods by which the general and local decomposition has been effected, and those by which the rock was originally impregnated with metallic ores—as well as the manner in which certain substances, as barytes, now found as sulphate, and true porphyry, now found as kaoline or lithomarge, have found their present situation in the belt in question—all these would possess both interest and importance in a high degree, could they be more definitely known. Such questions, however, cannot be answered with certainty, and their discussion here would lead us too far into the doubtful realm of chemical geology.

But whatever may have been the agencies at work, it is evident that there is nothing in all this to remind us of a true vein formation. It appears that the zone in question is neither a vein, nor generally speaking a system of veins. On the other hand, it possesses emphatically in general the characteristics of what the Germans style an impregnation—an impregnation indeed which exhibits a certain regularity as being mostly confined within a narrow zone, and stretching through a considerable extent of country, but which within these limits shows the greatest irregularity of form, and much variety of character. Veins of quartz occur here and there within the belt; but they are not more frequent here than elsewhere, and their occurrence has probably little or no direct connection with the peculiar character of the belt itself. There is very little that deserves the name of quartz at Quail Hill, though much of the surface rock is pretty highly silicious in character.

The impregnation of the rock with metallic sulphurets, particularly with sulphurets containing copper, has in certain localities been sufficiently powerful and concentrated to assume, in greater or less degree, the characteristics of segregated veins of limited extent. This has been the case at the Napoleon mine, and also at Quail Hill, where there is, or was, a band of oxidized ores of copper traversing the decomposed rock in a direction parallel with the general stratification. This band consisted chiefly of the green and blue carbonates of copper, mingled with ferruginous and earthy matter, and accompanied by barytes. The last named mineral, so common a veinstone in other parts of the world, but hitherto so rare in California, occurs here in considerable quantity. Its form is granular compact, sometimes quite pure, but usually contaminated and intermingled with other matters. Crystallized specimens of it have not been found here to my knowledge. It is hardly probable that the barytes itself contains either gold or silver; yet it certainly occurs here in the most intimate contact with both, as I have seen respectable particles of gold in place upon the immediate surface of compact specimens of barytes—and a sample of heavy concentrated barytic sand from the tailings of the mill, of sufficient fineness to pass through a sieve of one hundred holes to the linear inch, yielded to the assay over eleven dollars per ton in gold and silver.

The thickness of the copper band varied from one to three or four feet. Its outlines were indefinite, and its original characteristics of form, etc., much obscured by the complete decomposition both of itself and the surrounding rock. It was without doubt originally a segregated mass of sulphurets; and though it seems now to have nearly or quite run out and disappeared, it may be found to come in again as such, in depth, unaltered below the line of surface decomposition.

Other bands of similar character may perhaps exist in the yet undeveloped portions of the mine. But the great mass of decomposed material which forms Quail Hill as a whole, retaining as it does to so great an extent the original structure of the country rock from which it was formed, can in no proper sense be called a vein; although its extent, when considered as a repository of the precious metals, is something far transcending the size of ordinary veins.

The gold and silver of these formations which have recently attracted so much attention, and have become the object of extensive mining operations at Quail Hill, seem to be distributed at the latter place, to a greater or less extent, throughout the whole mass of the decomposed rock. The surface earth of the hill, also, everywhere contains gold, which may be discovered by washing it in the pan; but this ceases to be the case on the hillsides as soon as the limits of the decomposed rock are passed. Some of the gold, as stated by Prof. Silliman in his communication to the California Academy, already referred to, is quite coarse; but much of it is exceedingly fine and difficult to save in the mill. It is a noticeable fact in the distribution of the precious metals at Quail Hill, that the cupreous ores and the material in their vicinity have hitherto been found to be always rich in gold and silver, and to contain chiefly, if not exclusively, the coarsest gold.

The distribution of the gold at Quail Hill is not uniform, the more slaty and ferruginous portion of the decomposed rock being generally the richest in ore, while the compact porphyritic kaoline contains but traces of gold, if any, and some of the other and more compact rock is comparatively poor. The original distribution of the sulphurets here seems also to have followed approximately the same law—the kaoline containing in general but little trace of their existence, while the more slaty rock is often full of their cavities. Hematite, as well as the hydrated sesquioxide of iron, occurs here in small quantities; and a curious point in this connection is the fact that, while much of the best ore is very highly charged with the hydrated sesquioxide, the hematite has been found hitherto to contain little or no gold. The origin of the decomposed porphyry at Quail Hill is a point of much interest, and it may be a question whether it is not the remnant of an intrusive igneous dyke. The arguments in favor of this supposition consist in the entire dissimilarity in character and structure between it and the surrounding material, as well as in the rarity of porphyry in the region round about. In fact, I have nowhere else in this portion of the country seen anything deserving of the name, while the whole texture and appearance of this mass at Quail Hill are precisely such as would have resulted from the decomposition in place of a true feldspathic porphyry. But however strongly these facts may seem to argue in favor of an igneous origin, it is not easy to reconcile such a supposition with its mode of occurrence here. Other masses of similar character may exist within the hill; but so far as existing developments have cut or uncovered the one of which I speak, the indications are that it is irregular in outline, quite limited in extent, and of approximate lenticular shape. Moreover, in certain places, it seems to pass gradually into the eastern country rock, without any distinct line of demarcation, the change in the texture of the rock being even more gradual than the passage from the decomposed to undecomposed material. At certain points, but a few feet from the eastern “wall,” the kaoline is as perfectly porphyritic in its texture and appearance as in any portion of the mass, while between the two is every grade of passage from the one to the other—the country rock being neither distinctly porphyritic in texture, nor chiefly feldspathic in composition. I am strongly inclined to think, therefore, in spite of its peculiar and distinctive character, that this porphyritic mass is but a local result of the metamorphism of sedimentary strata, which, in many portions of this region, seems to have been as varied in character as it has been high in degree.

The degradation of such formations as this at Quail Hill, has undoubtedly furnished some of the placer gold of the region; but the evidence does not by any means justify us in supposing that it has furnished the whole of it. Gopher Gulch, which runs at the foot of Quail Hill, and its branches, for a mile above this point, or nearly to the summit of the Gopher Range, and hundreds of feet above the level of the Quail Hill formation, were in early days rich in placer gold, much of which was very coarse. Other gulches in the vicinity have also furnished more or less gold high up towards the summit of the range. Moreover, the quartz veins, which here and there occur in the hard metamorphic rock, are known, some of them at least, to contain gold, and such have probably played their part in the formation of the placers.

I have already mentioned the fact of the prominent association of the precious metals with ores of copper at the Quail Hill mine; but this fact derives still further interest from what follows. As far as my observations have extended in Calaveras County, and also at Whisky Hill, in Placer County, wherever gold and silver have yet been found in paying quantities in the decomposed rock formation, there also, or close at hand, are found the oxidized ores of copper, carbonates and silicates; and conversely, I have nowhere seen oxidized ores of copper in this decomposed rock which were not, comparatively at least, rich in gold and silver. It is true that sufficient developments have not yet been made to enable us to state whether this is the general fact or not. It is possible that the association of these ores may be to a certain extent accidental; but it is not unlikely that it may be otherwise;—and at all events this is a point well worthy of attention and further investigation.

As this finishes my remarks upon the “calico rock” formation. I will close by simply mentioning a point relating to the lower country of Calaveras County, that I have not yet seen publicly noticed elsewhere. The low, rolling hills which form the eastern border of the San Joaquin plain between the Stanislaus and Calaveras Rivers, contain extensive beds of horizontally stratified material, which is probably sedimentary-volcanic in origin. The color of these beds is usually varying shades of gray. They contain no pebbles, so far as I have seen; they generally crumble easily, and resemble in appearance a friable sandstone. But their grain or grit, which is pretty fine, is also quite clean and sharp as well as hard, and rough-polishes rapidly the hardest steel when rubbed upon it.

These beds are of considerable thickness, and cover many square miles of country. Their stratification has evidently not been disturbed since they were deposited, though they have been largely eroded. The frequent flat tops of the hills, and the level benches, which these beds have produced along their sides, by irregularities of wear, impart a peculiar aspect to the scenery.

Professor Silliman read the following:

On the Occurrence of Glauberite at Borax Lake, California.

BY B. SILLIMAN.

Glauberite, a species not before recognised as occurring in North America occurs at Borax Lake, where it has lately been obtained in blue clay, brought up from a depth of forty feet by an artesian boring. No other crystallized, species was detected in the masses of clay examined.

Glauberite is a sulphate of lime and soda, half an atom of each base in combination with an atom of sulphuric acid. It is usually associated with rock salt, as at Villa Rubia, in New Castile, and also at Ausee, in Bavaria, and in the salt mines of Vic, in France. In the Atacama desert in Peru, it is associated with a fibrous borate of lime called Hagesine. Mr. Stretch, the State Mineralogist of Nevada, in his catalogue of minerals found in that State, mentions borate of lime (Hagesine) as occurring in globular masses and in layers from two to five inches thick, alternating with layers of salt in a salt marsh in the Columbus mining District, Esmeralda County. It is quite possible that a careful scrutiny would detect glauberite also in this association so analagous to that of Atacama.

Reference was also made to the occurrence of the species laghassite detected by Prof. S. in 1864, at the little Salt Lake near Rag Town in Nevada, as illustrating in an interesting manner, the chemistry of these bodies of saline water. The latter species is a hydrous, carbonate of lime and sodium, while glauberite is a sulphate of the same bases. Both salts undoubtedly result from the reaction of the respective elements pre-existing in solution in the saline waters.

The crystals of glauberite from Borax Lake occur in very thin flattened tables, derived apparently from the great extension of the faces _O_ of the Monactinic prism.

Mr Bloomer read the following:

On the Scientific Name of the “Big Trees.”

BY H. G. BLOOMER, CURATOR OF BOTANY.

Early in 1853, specimens of the “Big Trees” were presented to this Academy; Dr. Kellogg and other botanists, members of the Academy, at once pronounced them to belong to the genus _Taxodium_, to which the common “Redwood” of California was referred at that time. Endlicher’s work upon the Coniferæ, in which the genus _Sequoia_ (named after an Indian Chief) was instituted, had not at that time reached us. Our California Redwood, _Taxodium sempervirens_ was included in the new genus of Endlicher. So then, the true scientific position of the Big Trees was first determined by members of the California Academy of Natural Sciences. At the time of the presentation of these specimens, an English collector of plants and seeds, Mr. William Lobb, saw them, and having experience enough to know that they belonged to a species new to the gardeners, immediately started for the grove and obtained cones, wood and foliage, which he carried with him to England in the fall of 1853. Dr. Lindley hastily described these as _Wellingtonia gigantea_ in the _Gardener’s Chronicle_ for December 1853.

In the meantime Drs. Kellogg and Behr pursued their studies of the great tree, and at length being convinced that there was no generic difference between it and the _Taxodium sempervirens_ (now _Sequoia sempervirens_) instituted the species _Taxodium giganteum_, described in the Proceedings of the Cal. Acad. Nat. Sciences, May 7th, 1855, Vol. I, page 53.

Previous to this, however, Seemann, in Bonplandia, 3, p. 27, January 15th, 1855, described it under the term of _Sequoia Wellingtonia_. Mr. Seemann gives his reasons at length in the Magazine of Natural History, 3d Series, Vol. 3, p. 164, for discarding the genus _Wellingtonia_ of Lindley, and says: “Dr. Torrey was undoubtedly the first who determined the true systematic position of the tree.” Now this is an error, for Dr. Torrey’s publication is dated in August, 1855; whereas Drs. Kellogg and Behr’s appeared May 7th, 1855.

The principal thing to be determined in this matter now is, as to the name and author, for these must accompany each other; shall it be:

_Sequoia gigantea_ Endlicher, May, 1847; _Wellingtonia gigantea_ Lindley, December, 1853; _Sequoia Wellingtonia_ Seemann, January 15th, 1855; _Taxodium giganteum_ Kellogg and Behr, May 7th, 1855; or _Sequoia gigantea_ Torrey, August, 1855?

There are a number of other names made use of and referred to by Seemann, Murray and others; but as they come to us without the least scientific authority, they ought not to be considered.

Dr. Lindley’s genus falls to the ground almost by common consent. I will refer here to a communication from Prof. Brewer, late of the geological survey of this State. Before he left San Francisco, he sent Dr. W. J. Hooker one of the large photographs of the “Grizzly Giant,” one of the big trees in the Mariposa grove; he had written to Prof. Brewer, asking about “the Wellingtonia, Washingtonia, I care not what you call it.” In Prof. Brewer’s answer, he told him that he (the Prof.) did care what he called it, and also that it was not a new genus, but a _Sequoia_. Dr. Hooker, in his answer to this, says: “I heartily agree with you in all you say about the big tree; it has now produced good fruit in our gardens, and is as true a _Sequoia_ as can be, and should have no other name.” So here we have high authority for discarding Lindley’s _Wellingtonia_. Yet this only settles the question as to the generic term; Dr. Hooker’s opinion thus far has only given us _Sequoia_.

The next claimant in point of priority is Dr. Seemann, who rightly refers it to _Sequoia_, and adds the specific term _Wellingtonia_, giving sufficient reasons for discarding Endlicher’s specific term _gigantea_, as that was shown by Hooker to be founded upon _Abies_ (Picea) _bracteata_.

In recent publications of American botanists, we find the term _Sequoia gigantea_ of Torrey used to designate the species; to show that this is not the true nomenclature, I need but to say that Dr. Torrey never described it at all in any book or proceedings. The reference is to the American Journal of Science and Art, Vol. 18, p. 286, August, 1855, where it says: “Dr. Torrey made to the American Association for the Advancement of Science a communication in reference to the Big Tree of California;” also Vol. 17, p. 443, but no description. Now here is no sufficient ground for Dr. Torrey’s _Sequoia gigantea_, for there is absolutely no description at all, but a mere reference; and this reference is published three months after Drs. Kellogg and Behr have described the tree as _Taxodium giganteum_.

I think now that Endlicher’s, Lindley’s, and Torrey’s claims have been refuted; the controversy is narrowed down as between Seemann and Drs. Kellogg and Behr. By strict usage, and without the usual courtesy of scientific men, the nomenclature of the “Big Tree” should be _Sequoia Wellingtonia_ of Seemann. But if courtesy is to be shown at all, it should be to those students who are entitled to it; that Drs. Kellogg and Behr are justly entitled to this honor, I cannot for one moment doubt. Specimens of this gigantic tree were in their possession many months before any other botanist had directed his attention to the subject; studying indeed under every disadvantage, for our botanical literature at that time was very meagre, not even Endlicher’s work on the Coniferæ, in which was to be found the then newly instituted _Sequoia_, to which was referred our common _Taxodium sempervirens_ of Lambert, being available. Had they access to this work they would have given us _Sequoia gigantea_; mark, that this was three months before Torrey’s reference.

They therefore are in truth and reality, if not technically, the first scientific discoverers of the true position of the great tree. The terms they used were _Taxodium giganteum_, meaning by this that it was a congener with _Taxodium sempervirens_, which it was.

If Seemann’s technical claims are set aside, then by courtesy _Sequoia gigantea_ Kellogg and Behr, ought to be written as the true name of the “Big Tree.”

For the advancement of science, we hope the final closing of this and other questions pertaining to the Coniferæ of this coast will be left to the able monographer of this order, Dr. George Engelmann, of St. Louis, who is now in Europe, having the notes and observations of recent botanists, and who will there have access to all the literature and material necessary to establish scientific accuracy and unity in this important family of plants.

INDEX OF AUTHORS.—1863-1868.

AYRES, DR. W. O.—Remarks on Notorhynchus, etc., 15 On the Sacred Turtle of Japan, 16

BEHR, DR. H.—On Californian Lepidoptera, 84, 123, 163, 178, 279, 296

BLAKE, DR. J.—Infusoria from the moving sands near San Francisco, 35 On the Gradual Elevation of the Land in the vicinity of San Francisco, 45 On Fœtus of Embiotocoid Fishes, 314, 371

BLAKE, PROF. W. P.—Gold from American River, 166 Fossils from Mare Island, 166 Fossils from Oregon Bar, 167 Fossils from Mariposa, 170 Oil Regions of Tulare Valley, 193 Sphene in the Sierra Nevada, 193 Iron Ore in Northern Arizona, 206 Gum of Sequoia gigantea, 234 Ammonites in Mariposa County, 235 Miscellaneous Notices, 289 Mineralogical Notices, 297 Fossil Fish from Nevada, 306 Fossil Saurians of California, 307, 361 Fossil Elephants Teeth, 325 Submerged Forests of Oregon, 339 Brown Coal of Oregon, 347 Analysis of Mt. Diablo Coal, 348

BLOOMER, H. G.—On the scientific names of the Big Trees, 399

BOLANDER, PROF. H. N.—Description of a new species of Melica, 4 Shrubs and Trees growing near San Francisco, 78, 296 Grasses of Arizona, 205 Remarks on Californian Trees, 225, 377 Botanical Collections of Prof. A. Wood, in 1866, 329

BREWER, PROF. W. H.—Plants growing in Hot Springs of California, 121 Explorations in Sierra Nevada, 170 Fossils of the Auriferous Slates, 198

BRUSH, PROF. G. J.—Analysis of Meteoric Iron from Arizona, 30

CANFIELD, DR. C. A.—Notes on Antilocapra Americana, 238

CARLETON, GEN. J. H.—On Meteoric Iron from Arizona, 33

CARPENTER, DR. P. P.—New Marine Shells of California, 155, 175, 207

CLAYTON, J. E.—Fossils from Nevada, 171

COOPER, DR. J. G.—On New or Rare Mollusca inhabiting California, 56 On a New Genus of Terrestrial Mollusca inhabiting California, 62 On New Genera and Species of Californian Fishes, 70, 93, 108 A New Californian Helix, etc., 259 A New Species of Pedipes, 294 West Coast Helicoid Land Shells, 331

CROFT, C. J.—The Grasses of Arizona, 205

DALL, W. H.—Memorial of T. Bridges, 236 Notes on Octopus punctatus, 243 Notes on Shells of Santa Cruz, etc., 258 New Subfamily of Mollusca, 264 On Shells of Monterey, 271 On Errors in Geography of California, 273 Letter from Alaska, 367

DANA, PROF. J. D.—On Crystallization of Brushite, 174

GABB, W. M.—A New Species of Virgularia from the Coast of California, 120 Cretaceous Fossils from Sonora, Mexico, 153 Fossils from Mariposa, 172 Fossils from San Luis Obispo, 173 New Marine Shells from Coast of California, 182 Cretaceous Formation of California, 301 Geology of Peru, 359

GARRETT, ANDREW.—Descriptions of New Species of Fishes, 63, 103

GIBBONS, DR. H.—On Rains at San Francisco, 261

GOODYEAR, W. A.—On Salt Spring Valley, Calaveras County, 387

GRAY, PROF. ASA.—Descriptions of new Californian Plants, 101

HOFFMAN, C. F.—On Hetch-Hetchy Valley, 368

JACKSON, DR. C. T.—The Big Trees of Calaveras County, 204

KELLOGG, A., M.D.—Description of two New Species of Plants from Nevada, 9 On two New Species of Collomia from Nevada Territory, 17 A New Genus and Species of Plant from Nev. Territory, (Pterostephanus), 20 Descriptions of two New Plants, (Conyza, Collinsia.), 36 A New Species of Hosackia, 38 A New Species of Mentzelia, 40 Description of three New Plants, 42 A New Species of Allium, 54 A New Species of Alsine, 61 Thaspium cordatum and Epilobium obcordatum, 314

MOORE, G. E.—On Brushite, 167

NEWCOMB, DR. W.—New Species of Helix inhabiting California, 115 A New Species of Pedicularia, 121 New Species of Land Shells, 179

PEASE, W. H.—On an Atoll near the coast of Mexico, 200

PREISS, MAJ. E.—On Euphorbia prostrata as a remedy for Snake-Bites, 195

RAIMONDI, DON A.—On Geology of Peru, 359

RÉMOND, A.—Description of two New Species of Bivalve Shells from the Tertiaries of Contra Costa County, 13 Description of two Species of Scutella, 13 Four New Species of fossil Echinodermata, 52 Geological Explorations in Mexico, 244

RICHTHOFEN, BARON F.—On Natural System of Volcanic Rocks, 356

ROWELL, REV. J.—Description of Gundlachia Californica, 21 On Pisidium angelicum, 353

SCUDDER, S. H.—Letter concerning Californian Butterflies, 47

SHARKEY, DR. J. M.—On fibrous Plants of Nicaragua, 401

SILLIMAN, PROF. B.—Gold and Silver of Whisky and Quail Hills, 349 Localities of Diamonds in California, 354 Localities of Tellurids in California, 378 Glauberite at Borax Lake, 399

STEARNS, R. E. C.—Shells of Baulines Bay, 275 Shells of Santa Barbara and San Diego, 283 Obituary of R. Kennicott, 298 Vitality of a Snail, 328 On Orthagoriscus analis, 341 On Helix Ayresiana, 341 Shells of Santa Barbara, etc., 343 Shells of Purissima, and Lobitas, 345 On Exhibition of Parhelia, 353 Shells of Bodega Bay, 382 Shells of Alaska, 384

TRASK, DR. J. B.—Earthquakes in California during 1863, 1864, 127 Earthquakes in California from 1800 to 1864, 131 Earthquakes in California during 1864, 190 Earthquakes in California during 1865, 239

WHITNEY, PROF. J. D.—On the inaccuracy of the Eighth Census, so far as it relates to the Metallic and Mineral Statistics of the United States, 6 Remarks on Japanese Minerals and Fossils, 15 On the Progress of the Geological Survey of California, 23 Analysis of Meteoric Iron, (Brush), 30, 34 On Meteoric Iron from Arizona, 48, 240 On Meteorites of Pacific Coast, 240 On Rémond’s Explorations in Northern Mexico, 243 On Geology of Nevada, 266 On Absence of Drift in California, 271 Human Skull from Calaveras County, 277 Tungstate of Lime and Copper, 287 Silurian Series of Nevada, 307 Tertiary Fossils of Nevada, 309 Triassic Fossils of Chili, 311 Liassic Fossils of Chili, 311 Tertiary Fossils of Chili, 311 Cretaceous Fossils of Chili, 311 Infusorial Deposits, 319 The Highest Mountain of North America, 325 On Coal of Webber Cañon, 341 On Salt from Muddy River, 341 On Ores from Comstock Lode, 342 On Geological Position of Coal, 356 On Fossil Tooth from Douglas Flat, 356 On Oreodon Jaw, 363 On Visit to Oregon, etc., 363 On Ores from Nevada and Mexico, 372 On Minerals of Pacific Coast, 372, 374 On Depression of Death Valley, 129, 376 On Maps of California, 386

WILLIAMSON, COL. R. S.—On the Height of Mount Hood, 364 On Depression of Death Valley, 129, 376

WILSON, JOHN.—Indian Relics from Chihuahua, 160

WOOD, PROF. A.—Ascent of Mount Hood, 292 Botanical Collections, 329

GENERAL INDEX.

PAGE.

Abies, 232

Acanthochites, 211

Acanthopleura, 211

Achatinella, 182

Acmæa, 213, 300

Æolis, 59

Allium, 54

Alsine, 61

Altitude of Sacramento, 386

American Satyrides, 165

Amiantis callosa, 286

Ammonites, 235, 289

Amphissa, 286

Amphithalamus, 218

Amycla, 159, 223

Anachis, 223

Analysis of Coal, 348

” of Salt, 348

” of Ores, 342

Angel Island, 348, 353

Antilocapra, 238

Antimoniate of Lead, 372

Aplodontia, 224

Aplopappus, 9

Aplysia, 57

Apocynum, 352

Apogon, 105

Arbutus, 232

Arenaria, 101

Argynnis, 84

Aristida, 205

Ascent of Mt. Hood, 292, 364

Aspidium, 129

Astarte, 209

Astragalus, 103

Astringent Gum, 234

Astrodapsis, 52

Astrophyton, 300

Ayresia, 73

Barometers, 327

Baulines Bay Shells, 275, 291

Bdellostoma, 295, 331

Belemnites, 173

Big Trees, 399

Binneya, 62

Botanical Collections, 329

Brown Coal, 347

Brushite, 167

Buccinum, 385

Calandrinia, 102

Calliostoma, 156, 186, 214

Cancellaria, 186

Carcharodon, 174

Cardium, 13, 154, 209

Carex, 38

Castanea, 231

Catalogue of Mosses, 386

Census, Eighth, 6

Ceratites, 167

Chætodon, 65

Cheilodactylus, 103

Chemnitzia, 154, 220

Chionobas, 163

Chironectes, 64, 107

Chioræra, 60

Chlorostoma, 286

Chromis, 160

Chrysallida, 219

Cinnabar, 298

Circe, 189

Clathurella, 184

Clypeaster, 53

Coal, Geology of, 356

” of Arizona, 122

” of Mexico, 251

” of Mt. Diablo, 348

” of Oregon, 347

” of Utah, 341

Cœcum, 215

Cœnonympha, 164

Collinsia, 36

Collomia, 17

Collonia, 175

Comstock Lode, 342

Conus, 174, 286

Conyza, 36

Cooperella, 208

Copper Glance, 297

Corbula, 207

Crenilabrus, 106

Crepidula, 385

Cretaceous Formation, 301

Crustacea, 313

Cupressus, 228

Curator’s Reports, 2, 99, 235, 237, 312

Cysticerci, 386

Cythna, 219

Danais, 84

Danaite, 297

Daphnella, 185

Dekaya, 70

Delphinula, 175

Dendronotus, 59

Depression of Death Valley, 129, 376

Diala, 218

Diamonds in California, 354

Diatomaceæ, 258, 320

Doris, 58, 346

Dosinia, 174

Drift Formation, 271

Earthquakes in China, 278

” in California, 127, 131, 190, 239

Echinarachnius, 53

Echinoderms, fossil, 52

Eighth Census, 6

Elephant’s Teeth, 325

Elevation of Land, 45

Emarginula, 188

Embiotocoids, 314, 371

Eocene formation, 301

Epilobium, 314

Esquimaux, 202

Ethalia, 215

Eulima, 221

Euphorbia, 195, 367

European Satyrides, 165

Excursion in Field, 348, 352

Exocœtus, 93

Exogyra, 154

Exploration of Alaska, 367, 377

Explosions under ground, 364

Family Limnæidæ, 264

Fenella, 217

Fibrous plants, 401

Field Excursions, 348, 352

Flabellina, 60

Fœtus of Fishes, 314

Fossils of Alaska, 367

” cretaceous, 301

” Elephant, 166, 171, 290, 325, 367

” Horse, 166, 171

” canine Tooth, 356

” Delphinidæ, 361

” in Gold Formations, 289

” from Mexico, 247, 249, 250, 252

” from Nevada, 266

” skull, 277, 291

” fish, 306

” bones, 307

” Saurians, 307

” Silurian, 307

” tertiary, 307

Fungi as Food, etc., 292

Gadinia, 188

Galerus, 215

Gastridium, 67

Geological Survey, 23, 170

Geology of Coal, 356

” of Mexico, 243

Geology of Peru, 359

Gibbonsia, 109

Gibbula, 158, 176, 214

Gillichthys, 109

Glaciers in Arizona, 162

Glauberite, 399

Globulus, 176

Gold of Whisky Hill, 349

” Quail Hill, 349

Grapta, 123

Gundlachia, 21

Hagesine, 399

Haliotis, 300, 361

Height of Mt. Hood, 294, 326, 363, 364

” Sacramento, 386

” Mountains, 326

Helices of Santa Cruz, 258, 260

Helicoid Land Shells, 331

Helix, 115, 179, 225, 258, 291, 328, 334, 384

Hepburn’s Shells, 283

Hetch-hetchy Valley, 368

Hosackia, 38

Hybrid Ducks, 324

” Haliotis, 361

Indian Hemp, 352

Infusoria, 35, 319

Iron Ore in Arizona, 206

Isapis, 217

Ischnochiton, 211

Jeffreysia, 209

Julis, 63

Junonia, 126

Kelloggia, 202

Kerargyrite, 297

Lagomys, 69

Land Shells of California, 331

Leda, 210

Leersia, 67

Leiostraca, 221

Lepidopleurus, 211

Lepton, 210

Leptonyx, 175, 286

Leptochiton, 212

Leptothyra, 286

Libocedrus, 228

Lilium, 202

Lima, 173

Limenitis, 127

Limnæidæ, 264

Linum, 42, 102

Lioconcha, 189

Liotia, 158

Litiopa, 219

Lycæna, 279

Macadamizing Rock, 327

Macoma, 208

Mangelia, 185, 383

Margarita, 158

Margaritana, 258

Mariposite, 380

Mastodon teeth, 291

Melica, 4

Melissa and Meridion, 258

Melitæa, 85

Mentzelia, 40

Mesalia, 216

Meteoric iron, 21, 30, 48

Meteoric shower, 300

Meteorites, 240

Mexican Cotton, 17, 19

Minerals of California, 372, 374

” Whisky Hill, 351

Mining, Ancient, 358, 362

Minolia, 157

Mirabilis, 10, 68

Mispickel, 8, 297

Monterey Shells, 271

Mopalia, 385

Morains in Arizona, 162

Mount Hood, 292, 326, 364

Mountain Barometers, 327

Muhlenbergia, 205

Murex, 185, 224

Myxodes, 108

Nacella, 213

Nassa, 223

Natica, 174

Native Copper, 297

Navarchus, 8, 58

Navea, 300, 346

Neaplysia, 57

Neithea, 154

Nemeobius, 178

Nereocystes, 324

Newcomb’s collection, 343

Northern drift, 271

Nostoc, 120

Notorhynchus, 15

Octopus, 243

Oenothera, 198

Officers elected, 3, 100, 177, 235, 312

Oil regions, 193

Opalia, 222

Ophisurus, 66, 98

Orcynus, 75

Ores from Nevada, 372

Orthagoriscus, 341

Ostrea, 13

Ovibos, 367

Oxide of Antimony, 372

Pachydesma, 286

Pallium, 174

Panicum, 121, 206

Parhelia, 353

Paspalum, 67

Peat Beds, 325

Pecten, 174

Pedicularia, 121

Pedipes, 294

Pentachæta, 197

Peru, Geology of, 359

Petricola, 310

Phaca, 103

Phidania, 60

Pholadidea, 310

Pholadomya, 173

Picea, 377, 401

Pinus, 204, 226, 296, 317, 353, 358, 370

Planorbis, 119

Pleuraphis, 205

Pleurotoma, 183

Plectodon, 207

Poa, 206

Polyporus, 292

Pomaulax, 286

Pompholyx, 264

Porites, 4

Pristiphora, 210

Proustite, 297

Psephis, 209

Pteroplatea, 112

Pterostephanus, 21

Ptychostylis, 187

Pulmonifera, 334

Puncturella, 214

Purpura, 4, 286

Pyrameis, 125

Quail Hill Minerals, 349

Quercus, 229, 296, 299, 370

Rains of San Francisco, 261

Red Crustaceans, 313

Rissoa, 217

Rissoina, 217

Rowellia, 188

Salt from Muddy River, 341

Salt Spring Valley, 387

Sarcodes, 202

Saturnia, 296

Satyrus, 164

Saxidomus, 174, 286

Scalaria, 221

Schinus, 273

Scintilla, 208

Scorpæna, 105

Scurria, 241

Scutella, 13

Semele, 208

Sequoia, 170, 204, 288, 363, 399

Sharks’ Teeth, 290

Shells of Alaska, 384

” of Baulines Bay, 275, 291

” of Bodega Bay, 382

” of California, 334, 361

” of Monterey, 271

” of Purissima, 345

” of S. Cruz I., 345

” of Sta. Barbara, 283, 343

” of San Diego, 283

” of land of West Coast, 334

Sierra Nevada Peaks, 170

Silene Dorrii, 44

Silkworms, 296

Silver leaf, 330

Silybum, 125

Skull from Calaveras, 277

Snail’s vitality, 328

Solariella, 156

Sphene in Granite, 193

Sphyræna, 203

Strategus, 8

Streptanthus, 101

Styliferina, 219

Submerged Forests, 339

Subterranean Explosions, 364

Succinea, 181

Surcula, 286

Taxodium, 399

Taxus, 229

Tellimya, 210

Tellurian Minerals, 378

Teredo, 11

Terrestrial Molluscs, 334

Thaspium, 314

Torreya, 229

Trachydermon, 212, 383

Tricuspis, 206

Trifolium, 102

Trigonia, 154

Triopa, 59

Trochiscus, 258, 275

Trophon, 224

Tsuga, 232

Tungstate of Silver and Copper, 287

Turbinolia, 154, 158

Turbo, 175

Turbonilla, 186

Turritella, 154, 174, 216

Twelve Mile House, 352

Urolophus, 95

Vitality of a Snail, 328

Vitis, 233

Vitrina, 334, 384

Volcanoes, Active, 368

Volutharpa, 385

Vanessa, 123

Viola, 101

Virgularia, 120

Washingtonia, 399

Wellingtonia, 399

West Coast Helicoids, 331

Whisky Hill Minerals, 351

Wood’s Collections, 329

Xylotrya, 11

Yoldia, 189

Zirphæa, 299

Zua, 384