30 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF [Feb., 



diversity in scientific interest, for he has become prominent not only 

 in pure geology, but in geography, meteorology and other allied 

 subjects. 



His early geological efforts were devoted largely to structural 

 geology, as seen in his work in Montana in 1883 and his later work 

 on the Triassic Formation of Connecticut, published by the United 

 States Geological Survey. Such researches led him into physiographic 

 geology, which he aptly describes as "the relation of structure, 

 process and stage in determining surface form"; and from physio- 

 graphic geology he branched out into physical geography, which in 

 later years has occupied much of his time, and in which he is recog- 

 nized as one of the foremost authorities in the world. His conception 

 of the relation of geology and geography is clearly brought out in 

 his presidential address to the Geological Society of America, 1911-12. 



In the meantime, however, he had not confined himself altogether 

 to geology and geography. He was assistant at the Argentine 

 National Observatory, Cordoba, Argentina, from 1870 to 1873; 

 while later on at Harvard University he taught at different times 

 geology, meteorology and geography. At Harvard he was success- 

 ively Assistant 1876-7, Instructor 1878-85, Assistant Professor 

 1885-90, Professor of Physical Geography 1890-99, Sturgis-Hooper 

 Professor of Geology 1899-1912, and Professor Emeritus 1912 to 

 the present time. 



Notwithstanding his many years of teaching at Harvard University, 

 he found time to travel widely and write numerous scientific books 

 and papers. In 1877-78 he toured the world in scientific study; 

 in 1903 he was a member of Pumpelly's Carnegie Institution Expedi- 

 tion to Turkestan; in 1895 he visited South Africa as the guest of 

 the British Association for the Advancement of Science. He was 

 Visiting Professor at the University of Berlin in 1908-9, and at the 

 University of Paris in 1911-12. 



Among some of the most important contributions of Dr. Davis 

 to science are his work in structural geology in Montana and Con- 

 necticut, already mentioned; his work on the evolution of form and 

 drainage, as seen in his studies of the River Valleys of Pennsylvania 

 in 1889, the River Valleys of Northern New Jersey in 1889, the 

 Grand Canyon in 1890, and the Seine, Meuse, Moselle in 1896; his 

 work on the nature of mountain forms, as seen in his studies of the 

 Great Basin Ranges in 1903 and in the Turkestan Expedition in 

 1904. Glacial geology, the nature of arid regions in America and 

 Africa, volcanoes and coral reefs are also subjects on which Dr. Davis 

 has spent much time and thought and published numerous papers. 



Thus the total contributions of Dr. Davis to science cover a wide 

 field. His numerous text-books relate to various geological and 

 allied subjects and are widely used; his many papers, memoirs, and 

 other contributions to scientific literature include a remarkably 

 broad range of subjects in geology, geography, meteorology, and 

 allied sciences. 



