80 PROCEEDINGS OF THE PHILADELPHIA MEETING 



ander Agassiz, primarily a zoologist, who, after becoming tlie best informed 

 authority on coral reefs, piclved a second nugget from the field of geology in 

 first introducing into an American museum a naturalistic model of a topo- 

 graphic type. Some geologists apparently do not realize the light in which 

 their subject has Iteen placed through lack of recognition of the need of expert 

 direction in this sub.ject, so fundamentally belonging to earth science; nor the 

 credit lost by first rt^cognition liy other scientific bodies.^ The crude reliefs 

 that have characterized the works of American geologists, especially in gov- 

 ernment service, lias presented geology in an unfavorable light and spread an 

 impression of lack of accuracy and perception which does us injustice. What 

 is by rights a most expressive and broadly interesting work has been shown 

 in its smallest phase too arbitrary to attract the interest of any save a few 

 specialists; and so geology has lost the tmi(iue advantage that might come 

 from utilizing its best medium of exposition. One result is the maintenance 

 of a low standard of land relief work throughout the many and varied channels 

 where its uses are continually sought throughout the country. Government 

 scientific bureaus are naturally looked to for standards, and failing to recog- 

 nize expert work in a subject in which they are presumed to be authorized is 

 bound to uphold poor standards, placing earth science in an unfavorable light. 

 Is the interpretation of the earth's surface a matter so simple as to call for 

 no such special training as is foiuid necessary in the other arts? Can geolo- 

 gists think so poorly of their science as to hold that the training of mechanics 

 is sufficient to interpret the intricate forms of the landscape, and is so mean 

 a consideration of earth structure in accord with the spirit of modern nature 

 study? 



After architects, biologists, landscape gardeners, educators, and others into 

 whose fields of labor this most inclusive branch of earth science has pene- 

 trated, have derived signal advantage fnim its promotion, it is interesting to 

 note that now, for the first time. American geologists are entering this field 

 so intimately a part of their work and the public need in earth study. The 

 curator of the Harvard Geological Museum has taken this initial step among 

 his fellow-geologists to bring a natviral history specimen of a type of land 

 form into an American geological museum. Three months were spent in a 

 special survey for relief data of the crater of Kilauea, islands of Hawaii, and 

 after nearly two years' continuous work under direction of a professional land 

 modeler, the volcano is now approaching completion in the work of naturalistic 

 relief. 



Few realize the field study, planning, vast amount of laboratory work, and 

 the expert direction (regardless of certain necessary technique gained only 

 by long and costly experience) that expressive naturalistic relief involves; 

 and yet when we consider for what it truly stands and can represent in its 

 very completeness — not maps, but the field as it is and appears — we see that 

 adequate results could not come otherwise. How many topographic reliefs in 

 our museums today are based on the special surveys required for naturalistic 

 models? And how man.v have been carried out for geology by expert land 

 modelers? What encoui-agement has previously been given such workers by 

 oui- earth scientists? How uuieh has our government Geological Survey, to 



^ "Gpographic scnlptiiip" was first honored iu this country by the American Social 

 Science Association iu 1014. 



