TRAXSACTIOXS OF SECTION E. 725 



WFjDKHSBAY, august 25. 

 The following Papers were read : — 



1. The Material Conditions and Growth of the United States. 

 By Henry Gannett. 



2. Geographical Ficturfs. Bij Hugh Robert Mill, D.Sc, F.R.S.E. 

 (With Lantern Illustrations.) 



In view of the prominent place now taken by photography in tlie work of all 

 travellers it is necessary to urge the importance of taking pictures which are 

 geographically as well as photographically ' good.' Such pictures must be truth- 

 ful and representative, the utmost care being taken to avoid distortion, to supply 

 some indication of scale, and to bring out the characteristic features. General 

 views comprehending a coi'siderable area are desirable for showing types of land- 

 forms or sites of towns. Pictures on a larger scale are desirable for showing the 

 detail of special features, such as varieties of architecture, means of transport, or 

 agricultural processes related to certain geographical conditions. As far as possible 

 •every geographical picture should sliow something distinctly illustrative of a natural 

 feature or a local condition peculiar to the place where it was made, or at least 

 characteristic of it. The handsomest house in a village, the rarest foreign tree in 

 •a park, or the prettiest view in a district, represents the sort of subject most often 

 photographed, and they are precisely those of least geographical value. The 

 paper was illustrated by numerous lantern views of typical scenery, people, and 

 processes of geographical significance. 



. 3. Geographical Wall-jnctures. By Professor Albrecht Penck. 



Geographical education needs means of representation. The student should not 

 liave only the knowledge of facts, he must be enabled to represent to himself the 

 features of the earth's surface. There cannot be any doubt that lantern slides 

 afford a very good means for helping to get such clear representations as are needed, 

 but, on the other hand, other means of geographical representation may not be 

 neglected. The projections of lantern slides are of a mere temporary character, 

 •excellently fitted to illustrate the spoken word, but education needs also means for 

 impressing deeply the most important features of the earth's surface into the minds 

 •of the students. 



At Vienna we use for this purpose with the greatest advantage the geographical 

 pictures issued by the establishment of Edward Hobsel. These are printed in 

 •different oil-colours, the size of each being 32 : 2-4 inches. The whole collection 

 •embraces now thirty-seven pictures (the price of each being 4s. = ,^1.00) ; the greater 

 part (twenty-three) indeed represent European features, but more than one-third 

 represent sceneries of other continents, and six give American views. The high, 

 educational value of the collection concerns the morphology of the earth. Five 

 [pictures represent different types of vegetation forms, the tropical virgin forest, 

 as well as the Hungarian steppes; nine the forms of the highest mountain ranges 

 in Europe, North America, and Asia, with their glaciers ; four show the different 

 .actions of water ; seven pictures illustrate the formation of valleys and the whole 

 cycle of land-destruction ; four show volcanoes in different parts of the world ; eight 

 represent types of coastal formation, 



The Hobsel collection of the geographical character pictures is now completed 

 'by a set of geographical city pictures of larger size. The pictures of London, 

 Paris, and Vienna have already appeared. There is also a very good collection of 

 historical wall-pictures edited by the establishment of Hobsel. The collection 

 •embraces sixty-two sheets, executed after drawings of Professor Langl. 



