, 1874-12-12
SPARKS OF SCIENCE.


Al sfna1FIcAScE.
AZ d recont 1noeting Of tho American scfcnttuo i
Aeaoolat|on, pror. n, Story HINT, OF Dobton' 4
naslo somo remarks OIL The aDoyo subject, wlllch
lto Ind noticed hrieily in communication to tho
Aasociatlon last year IN thu geology OF tho llltlo
1sidgo. Tllo change of tho rocka IN question Ia
d chemical nnc. which ~ most nbyfoua In tho ! |
case of cryntallino roclH tho fels1mr loaca itB
a.allcu and pnrt Of Its stlsor, being ctange. IN
to s,ay, ss,t! tue hor1,hlehda ita tma aud n,aE-
ncsin, rotni,ng III, iron and peroxydp. From
tln rosltt Il eoItonitlg nns tfocny to greater or
Ions depths Of tho strata, 10 shat, wli1o TIN beds
still rotain thetr arrangement. mud nre hcon to
bo ravcrrcd by veins Of Iuartz and mctallso
oros. tho Btratn aro often 30 mich changed TO
t,uptbe oil 100 foot or moro from the nnrsaco al
to bo roadlly remoyad by tho notlon OF tho wnees.
Tile pbouomcnon ID woll agcn in tho crystalline
rocks Of Tho Dluc niago, and not lass romark'
ably IN thpso of BRAZIL whoro It has bcen notscoa
by ln0l,y observeln n,nong tho }atoDt Of whom's
Prof. Hart. Darwin who long aEo aeaprieost
1t, NM. imagined tho chsuge to hava bean
offcutca beneath tho soa but, according
to tho speaker. it hsB boon sub
aorial proeeaa, which las boon at work during ]
rast ages, when tia composition OF tho atuloh-
phere a,ll tho enlatic conditions dlffernd from
t!oHe Of ta-lay, aud when casbnuic Rcid aiaa by
warmth and moisture, nboundod. lie connected
1t with TINT Blow publication Ut tho atmosphere
which froM very carly ti,noa has been going OH.
The aaiieH, sud limo, aud na7ncsia, Jet free III
thin mocnsp, absorbed tho atmospheric carhontc
acid, md tho unrbonateH carried down to tho sca
gavc rso to li1nsstoncB, dolonites, and aoa"salt
Such PROCESS Of decay ygaa already IN action at
an carly period, and, from facts observed BY
| Iunpctiy lit Missouri, lad affoeletl lilo fron-
! brnring foltlspar porphyrieA nt tho confncnco-
ne.lt of tho nnlcozolc tin'o Il wns. accordtnl, to
tho apoukor, finn, the washing down nf tho thllH
dccona,poged crystalline rocka that a tue clays
aud snl,7B Which had Eono to build up tho hod1-
1ucnts OF our want beds Of paIcoxoie and more re-
cont rocks had boon derived. 1io Thought 1t
probable that tho proeoss Of cosay haa ECU sosle
though It is now Insignificant IN Its action, OWING
to changed atmospheric conditlona
Tho sreakor. drow picture VI North Amorlcn *a
notion Of tho growth Of our conttnent eontit,7ard
aud outward from, nnclous in tho vicinity OF
tho groh. laios han no foundation III Tact, aud
tho aludy of te uncrystallino ,, aodimonsary ior-
nation tollH t different story. The great paloo-
xoie baHin was to tho east aud won't ns we'll aB to
lilo nortl surrounded by acrcn Of decsying grys- @
talne rocks. Those Of Now Euglaua, tha l5i,lo
1lidgc, md tho crystalline rochs to tho cast Of it.
! nro tic rcn,aius Of u grent disintcEratca nni
wastcd contlucns whoBa ruins have built np the
,,,.cryAtaliino rocks to the westward, as well aa
t!soso along tho caetern and southern hordgra OF
tlo Unted States, Up to = con,paratlyoly 70
, I:autcrm No'v York. and New Jorecy. wero
, probably. like those farther so!sthTard,
along tho illus, Ridge, deeply covered by tho
. 'wcro derived the tertlary rlays. rs well rs tho
brown iron ores vhlcl, ara fouad along tie base
. uf tho Blue l1ga and itn northern cohanuation.
9 or considered to have boon ono Of eubmorgouce
8 ind Hubsouiont gradual uplift OF hortheasto1n
America, IT which timo II vas exposed to tle ac.
tlon OF local glaciers aud to tho lceberg.drift o1
tho ponr current, that tho ilnnt removal OF thiE
decayed covering from our hills had talien place
,Thtls further Bouthwnrd tho mountains beyont
j. the reacl. Of this denuaing action still retain 70
tlay their covering Of doca5oh rocls. 4 sim'ial
n(,uuceota, wlcro, nccording to Prof.. White, thu
dccayel crYatalliuos haYo escaped donudation.
Il Tho process Of decay In tho more 1naHBvo aud
- granito-ke rocks had ofton beon incomplete
ctn111ed n.lcloi Of hard rock, which, whom era
II eion looi pacc, were left rs rounded Iuassoa
Is Dow!ders---a point Which has bccu vol brougll
70 cut by alr. Burbank from pig atnhleb N hort
~ drift deposits.
1t paleozoc ll1nestones from which tho carbonate
H. l,,ua haa beeu disaalved. leaving norous rotte
IL rocl; bchnnd. This, as DaYson bns shown,
- | vol soen In tho impure argIllaceous Ifonto
~ ncHtonc ncar aloutreal, which, iii localities PR
n. tecled by trappean dykes fron tno eroaing scse
~ ~ t,nn IA wor,, Iow,, and rlsciated.
IT, PHENOMENA or VEGETATION.
iey 4 receut number of tho Calayoras teal
n, c1,.nuj,1, nayu.
% ~, .,,,,r. ~ TIM Affect or heat upou frutre.
all cxcplthetl W tne 1eoeas esess ~ =, Io ~ navi
~ Situated Il. hc suburbs Of Sfokolnnne 1Iil Was ",
las ioctea to considerable degree Of heat ds,rina
&C. progress of tho noio o. @ suo naa ns
sl killed. *Al!o o1ss" w. Mero sorty ofer ta IT.
ca naxs& & Wsn est,U ~ ,,rns mt on liz scza livery
a .ur,nr hossoned. aud aro now DoYrlng ~ thrifty
no How'll eas of young upplcs IN eycs sa*.
DID For ta anu s'1'll''f i'"oo'1lon@ ~ ''e.0 w
VI bo.l'ns auu .n 1as a,.,,at;a,, Man =,
alllat l'as Fory s,tnp'o eaplA''as,o4.' a.oos r.
10 eunial p1ants finssh their annnaI growth carry
tor 1ae s"1llners W" t"on oi,e1' 'ne'. 49, "
ic3 production OF buds Tor LILO growth Of sao Gus
nd | iug seabo.t. These buds contain all the leas
9tk and ],toasou,u, mud lengths Of stem, which
M | N -. III,