New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-05-12

on the destruction OF the WAVES Va VIC SO SPVN
an alluvial coast. The wave OF the sea Is OF tue
second order in passing from the second - the
6rst order the motion of the particles changes
f,or, the motion Of oscillation to that OF transa-
tioD The matter transported by the current oil
the food tide is subjected TO this wave action
the particles of water and she suspended mstter'
being projected forward az the moment OF dlsn-
tegrGtion with mechanical power proPor1loneu
10 the hight of the wave. The substances De
nee tn the breaking wave also receive shock
tending 10 force them further up the beach
Itisunder the control of this aw that the vtst
material Of the tertiary snd Drift periods, which
constitute the flesh and muscles Of the great con-
tinents. have been saved from wasteiul diffusion
in the depth of the ocean, and have been grouped
around their original sources. IL may De assumed
TO be one of the subordinate fundamental laws oil
the globe.
After the reading OF Lieut.. Daviss note, Prot.
BAcVE stated that ne had directed the officer eu'
gagged in the photography Of Charleston hsroor
in the Coast Survey, Lieut.. Matist) to take up
A considerable bulk Of water at different periods
of she ebb or food tide with the sand mixed in IT,
so as to determine the relative amount Of
deposit in equal quantities Of water 81 different
periods of the tide. The examination was not
completed but lieut.. II afhtt had reported that the
" alter during the food contained avery much great
er amount OF sand than during the ebb The sand OF
the bar during the flood tide is in fact, az termed
by sailors, "alive. fact which confirms signsLy
the proposition of Lieut. Davis.
LAKE SUPERIOR AND IT'S AZolCIsYsrEH
A paper on the Azoic System Of L axe Supe-
rior7 BY Messrs FOSTER & WHIrNEY, L. s.
Geolosists in the and District of L axe Superior,
was read by Mr. FOSTER. 1t was Of considerable
length, and traced the general geological features
OF that interesting region.
The A oic system, so called from the entire 40
sence of organic remains, comprises the most an-
cient Of the strata which forms the crust OF the
earth. They consist for the most part Of gneiss,
bornblende. chlorise, tacose and argillaceous
states, interstrstiied with beds OF quart, saccha
roidal marble. and immense deposits Of specular
and magnetic oxide of iron. Most OF these rocks
appear to be of detrital origin, but 70 have been
greatly transformed by long.contnued exposure
10 heat. They are subcrystalne or compact In
their structure, and rarely present unequlyoca'
signs of qualification. They have been subject
20 the most violent dislocatioas. In one place,
the beds are vertical in another, reversed and
in another, present succession OF folded axes.
Since the theory OF metamorphlsm has been gen.
erally recognized, many of the rocks Wnlch were
formerly regarded as igneous, are now referred
TO aqueous agency and the transformation which
they may have undergone, traced TO the presence
of erupted rocks. Ii is reasonable TO suppose
that there was time in the history Of our planet
when it's crust was subject 20 constantly recur-
ring volcanic paroxysms, when mephltlc vsPors
were escaping through extensive assures commu-
nicating with the interior, and when the waters
were ia heated condition and differed perhaps
chemically from these of the existing oceans IN
der such conditions, we ought not to look iJr any
types of animal or vegetable life. Mr.. Foster
here gave general view OF the origin OF the
Azoic rocks and the theories in relation thereto
which, not being Unpopular interest, omit.
These rocks are developed on an extensive
scale both to the Northern and Southern margin
of she Lake Superior basin. Commencing onThe
Northern shore OF 9, We una series OF
tsIco,e and cblori' With occasional beds
OF coarser grlts, l. 1te contact win we
granite and cneiss have been divided by
Mr. Logan, the disLD. uished Provincial Geolo'
gist of Canada, into two groups-a division whleh
has not been discovered on the Southern shore
the lowest of which consists of states partially
cbortic and talcose, and occasionally holding a
sufficient number of pebbles derived from the by
pogene rocks, TO constitule congomerateG
Mr. Foster also sketched the characteristics OF
a remarkab Iron Mountain on Carp River l,Oo1
feet above the level of Lake Superior 1t is a
dome. aped mass almost entirely destitute OF
vegetation, and consists OF alternate bands of pure
specula and magnetic oxide OF iron, from two 80
three ines in thickness The iron is in many
places pure more so, probably, than In any other
locality, and is accordingly of ;ncalcuable value.
Prof AGAssIz paid high compliment to the
labors of the Biologists of our country in the axe
Superior region-mainly because we are now
sured that there are no undiscovered systems OF
rocks. and that we have already arrived at the
Of animal life; leaving nothing
further to be desired. He considered these in
upon the Azoic rocks conclusive evi-
dence. With what increased interest, said he,
shall we now proceed in the nvestig alton OF All.
mai life since that period, knowing that we have
the very beginning to commence upon. He
thought the only event that could be OF greater
interest would be the discovery of the skull or
skeleton Of the first human being, and the exact
features of the first Man. This, he said, yet re-
NAMED undiscovered, but he wss happy that the
date of animal existence had been so satlsiactO.
torily determined.
Other papers followed, from Prof AGAssIz'
on the Limits of the Class Of PolyP and the
Rank and Succession of their Chief Natural Di-
visions; by WIN. C. REDFIELD, Esq, of New.
York, on The Orbisal Courses of Storms, as
opposed to received Hypothesis of Genera
Winds, founded on the alleged Influence Of Equa
torial Temperature = and by Prof BAIRD. for
Mr.. L. F. PoURrALIs, on the Holothurie of the
Atlantic Coast Of the United States
Col. WHIrTLEsEY presented two Skulls, re
Gently found in a cave formed by projection OF
sandrock over shale, in the neghborhood Of Ely
-ia, Lorraine Co. Ohio. The locality is on the
Forks of Black River, about a mile and
half above Elyria. The skulls are charac
teri1ed by a lamentsble deficiency Of intellect.
the frontal lobe Of each head being of most con.
Iracted dimensions, bat the animal powers and
are very fully developed They
have not yet been examined by any craniolOgist
One 10 supposed to be the head of man Of TWEEN.
ty or twenty FIVE years this other an aged fe-
male. Both were found in bed of mari, contain
ing numerous relics Of animals and evidences Of
partial civilization The age OF the skulls is cal
culatad from the aDDearancea surrOundiDg than