DecEMBER 13, 1906] 
The Cyanide Process. By Alfred S. Miller. Second | 
edition, revised and enlarged. Pp. viiit95; with | 
29 illustrations. (New York: John Wiley and | 
Sons; London: Chapman and Hall, Ltd., 1906.) 
Tus little book may be of value in giving general | 
ideas on the cyanide process to those who know 
nothing about the subject. The possessor of the book 
may be put in a position to understand what is meant | 
by the various phrases with regard to cyaniding that 
appear in the technical Press. It is; however, the 
least practical of manuals, and its statements, some- 
times self-contradictory and sometimes mistaken, 
must be accepted loosely and generally without too 
close examination. This is the worst that can be 
said of it, and if it is read cursorily there is no reason 
for the reader to be misled. On the contrary, he may 
be enabled to converse intelligently on the subject. 
Highways and Byways in Berkshire. By James 
Edmund Vincent. With illustrations by Frederick 
L. Griggs. Pp. xiii+430. (London: Macmillan 
and Co., Ltd., 1906.) Price 6s. 
Att readers who are familiar with this attractive series 
will welcome the most recent addition to it. The style 
of production, the illustrations and the spirit of the 
author will together ensure the volume a wide popu- 
larity. Mr. Vincent is never dull, and every aspect 
of the country side with which he is dealing—be it 
historical, geological, or sociological—is made to con- 
tribute something of interest. The bool will certainly 
serve as an invaluable companion to the reader who 
decides to explore Berkshire for- himself, telling him 
what spots to seek diligently and indicating the dis- 
tricts that may be treated lightly. The indolent man, 
who eschews travel as troublesome, will be able, with- 
out leaving his armchair by the fire, now that he can 
have the assistance of Messrs. Vincent and Griggs, 
thoroughly to enjoy Berkshire scenes, make the ac- 
quaintance of Berkshire men and women, and learn 
the importance of the county in English history. 
PETLTER, TO THE EDITOR. 
[The Editor does not hold himself responsible for opinions 
expressed by his correspondents. Neither can he undertake 
to return, or to correspond with the writers of, rejected 
manuscripts intended for this or any other part of NATURE. 
No notice is taken of anonymous communications. | 
Geological Survey of Canada. | 
As one deeply interested in the success of the Geological 
Survey of Canada, I cannot but regret the letters which 
have appeared in Nature concerning the appointment of 
Mr. Low to the directorship of the survey. As a result of 
these letters misapprehensions will certainly remain in the 
minds of the readers of Nature concerning this appoint- 
ment, which it would be impossible to dispel without a 
detailed statement of the full facts of the case. There are, 
however, two statements contained in the letter which 
appeared in the number of Nature dated July 12 (vol. 
Ixxiv., p. 245) which reflect directly on Mr. Low’s character 
and standing, and which, in common justice to that 
gentleman, should not be allowed to pass unchallenged. 
The first of these statements is that ‘‘ party politics and 
not geology have been in question in regard to Mr. Low’s 
appointment,’’ and the second is that *‘ Mr. Low is quite 
unknown in the geological world.” 
With regard to the first of these statements, I may say 
that when the Canadian Government—for reasons which 
it is not my purpose here to discuss—decided that they 
would not appoint Dr. Bell director of the Geological 
Survey of Canada, they proceeded to select, quite irre- 
spective of all considerations of party politics, the best 
man who was available in Canada to fill that position. 
NATURE 
They accordingly offered the position in question in | 
NO, 1937, VOL. 75] 
149 
succession to two geologists holding chairs in leading 
Canadian universities. Both these gentlemen, however, 
preferred to retain their university connection, and declined 
the position. The Government then decided to promote 
Mr. Low, who was one of the senior field geologists on 
the Canadian Survey, to the position of director. 
Mr. Low received his geological training at McGill 
University, taking at the time of his graduation honours 
in geology. He received his geological instruction from 
Sir William Dawson. After graduation he was at once 
appointed to a position on the Geological Survey of 
Canada, and was assigned the task of mapping various 
areas of the pre-Cambrian rocks of the northern portion 
of the Dominion of Canada. The work which he carried 
out in the region of the great lalke Mistassini is well 
known, and he was subsequently sent by Dr. G. M. 
Dawson to undertake the exploration of that great tract 
of north-eastern Canada which comprises the Labrador 
peninsula. While others lost their lives in endeavouring 
to penetrate into the interior of this great unknown land, 
Mr. Low traversed it repeatedly from north to south and 
from east to west, and embodied the results of his work 
in a series of valuable reports on the geography, geology, 
and mineral resources of this great region, the final report 
being accompanied by a large four-sheet map of the whole 
region showing its geological structure along the various 
lines of traverse. We owe to Mr. Low practically every- 
thing that we know with regard to this great tract of 
country. His observations on the surface features of this 
region, which was one of the chief centres of ice dispersion 
in the Glacial period, are of great importance in connec- 
tion with our studies of glacial geology. 
On the completion of this work in the Labrador 
peninsula Mr. Low spent a year and a half in the investi- 
gation of the iron-ore resources of the region about the 
southern portion of Hudson’s Bay, and more especially 
on the islands in the Bay, where great bodies of low-grade 
iron ore occur. 
Still later, when the Dominion Government decided to 
take formal possession of the Hudson Bay region and the 
islands of the Arctic archipelago, they selected Mr. Low 
to take charge of the expedition which they sent to the 
north for that purpose. Mr. Low accordingly, in charge 
of the ship Neptune, pushed his way far north through 
the Arctic archipelago to the Arctic Sea, taking formal 
possession of the various Arctic islands in a cruise which 
lasted for sixteen months, and was accomplished to the 
satisfaction of the Government in every respect. 
For these various northern explorations Mr. Low re- 
ceived the Gill award from the Royal Geographical Society. 
The reason that Mr. Low’s name is not more widely 
known in Europe is due chiefly to the fact that his contri- 
butions to the various geological magazines and transactions 
have been comparatively few in number, the results of his 
work being published chiefly in reports, both voluminous 
and valuable, which were made to the Geological Survey of 
Canada, and which are to be found in their annual 
volumes. These naturally are read chiefly by those 
particularly interested in the geology of Canada, and con- 
sequently do not reach a wide circle of readers. 
Mr. Low also, it may be mentioned, is a Fellow of the 
Geological Society of America, a body composed solely 
of professional geologists, and one basing its election to 
fellowship solely on valuable contributions to geological 
science. 
The above facts, I think, afford an adequate answer to 
the statement that Mr. Low is ‘‘ quite unknown in the 
geological world.” 
In conclusion, it may be safely stated that in appointing 
Mr. Low to the directorship of the Geological Survey of 
Canada the Dominion Government has secured the services 
of a gentleman who has not only a sound geological train- 
ing and an extensive experience in field geology, but also 
a gentleman of initiative and administrative ability, in the 
prime of life, and one whose appointment has been well! 
received both by the geologists of the Dominion and by 
the representatives of the mining interests with which our 
Geological Survey is so closely identified. 
Frank D. Apbams. 
McGill University, Montreal, October 31. 
