.1 MAP REVIEW. 225 



Catholics. If a numerical inferiority were to operate at the present 

 time in reproducing the tendency to suicide, we should not find it, as 

 we do, much more frequent among the Jews of Bavaria, and especially 

 in Lower Franconia and the Archduchy of Austria, than among the 

 Catholics, although they form hut a small fraction of the population. 



With t regard to the influence of religion in this matter, the only one 

 fact which as yet has been well proved is the higher rate of suicides 

 among Protestants than among Catholics, as appears from our tables, 

 in which, along with the average of various states and provinces, we 

 have given the proportions of the inhabitants belonging to the two 

 faiths. A very considerable difference will be found, particularly in 

 countries of mixed creeds, where those in which Protestants predomi- 

 nate are always visited with the greatest number of violent deaths. It 

 needs but to compare the mixed Cantons of Switzerland, the Circles of 

 Prussia, Hanover, and Baden, and the provinces of Holland. And it 

 is observable that, while there certainly are Catholic countries which 

 supply a high average (such as the departments of the He de France 

 and the Orleannais), no Protestant country has figures that will bear 

 comparison with the lowest of those of certain Catholic countries of 

 the south of Europe. The influence of Paris is such as altogether 

 to neutralize that of religion ; but, for so considerable a rise in the 

 average of the northeast of France, we must take into account the 

 introduction of the Germanic ethnical element, for there the religious 

 apathy which springs from the habits of our times has not yet taken 

 sufficient effect to tell upon statistics. 



-^*- 



A MAP REVIEW. 



By FRANK D. Y. CAEPENTEE, C. E. 



EVERY new scientific book is duly noticed, and every meritorious 

 painting or other work of art receives its critical mention, but 

 we have yet to see, in this country, any review of that combination of 

 science and ai't a geographical map. Such a map, worthy in more 

 ways than one of the attention of engineer and artist, has just been 

 completed in the Washington office of the geographical surveys of the 

 United States Engineer Bureau, and as a posthumous publication of 

 these surveys, now discontinued, its appearance may awaken a sense 

 of regret over the end of an organization which was capable of pro- 

 ducing such excellent results. It has already won the highest honors 

 at the Geographical Congress of Venice, where the original drawing 

 and a photo-lithographic proof were exhibited in September last. 



This sheet was designed by Captain Wheeler, in charge of this 

 work, to illustrate the methods of map-making, peculiarly American 

 VOL. xx. 15 



